One of the goals of the Alberta Society of Artists is to work closely with emerging young artists in the province. The ASA offers educational opportunities to student artists in the form of annual scholarships. Every year, one graduate-level recipient and two undergraduate-level recipients are selected.

We are proud to showcase the work of this year‘s winners in this digital exhibition!

Thea Galang (she/they) is a first-generation Filipino-Canadian immigrant in her second year at the Alberta University of the Arts, majoring in Sculpture with a Minor in Media Arts. They primarily work as a multimedia artist, with her recent body of work focusing on comparing food and its processes with the artist’s immigrant journey from Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines, to Calgary, Alberta. During her studies at the university, she has experimented with performance-based sculptural works that incorporate the idea of integrating art into everyday life, making the medium more accessible to the public. 

Leaving Saskatchewan meant going long distance with my partner of five years. We have been together since we were 14, growing and developing in tandem from young teens to young adults. To say this woman means the world to me is an understatement. In her absence, and in my loneliness and heartbreak, I turned to an obsessive art practice, using my love as a model. 

In this work, I explore romantic ideas of love through drawings, paintings, and animations of dispossessed objects and pop imagery. The works are psychological, rooted in the subconscious, and reflect love’s complexities its presence, absence, and the space it leaves behind. 

From a young age, the significance of life has deeply resonated with me and my family. When my sister was diagnosed with cancer during my childhood, the loss was overwhelming. In navigating my grief, I turned to art as a means of expression. My artistic journey has been shaped by a dedication to understanding how personal experiences can expand into broader social, political, and aesthetic contexts. My artistic practice investigates the complex relationships between illness, care, and the collective human experience, with a focus on themes of vulnerability, resilience, and healing. 

Initially, my work centered on cancer and its impact on patients, inspired by personal loss and the time I spent with my sister during her treatment. Through wearable sculptures, video performances, and participatory installations, I created works that embodied the emotional and physical realities of cancer, fostering spaces for reflection and dialogue. This experience ignited a desire within me to explore and depict cancer in ways that make it more visible and tangible, aiming to share my family’s journey and shift perceptions around this illness. It became a driving force for me to find new ways of valuing life and resilience. 

Since relocating to Canada, my research and practice have shifted toward the experiences of non-paid caregivers—those who navigate the emotional and psychological demands of supporting others through illness. This transition stems from a deep awareness of the mental health challenges caregivers face, including the trauma, isolation, and complexities of their roles. My current focus seeks to empower caregivers by exploring innovative ways to reveal their identities through shared emotions, mutual community, and collective experiences. 

As a first step, I have undertaken durational artistic work and personal documentation, examining my own journey as a sister caregiver. This process allows me to reflect on my lived experiences, uncover my insecurities, and explore how revisiting memories affects my emotional and physical state. I also analyze my body’s language and communication patterns, creating a foundation for understanding the broader caregiving process. 

These explorations inform the development of interactive artworks and workshops that aim to create safe, inclusive spaces for caregivers. By encouraging the exchange of stories and emotions, I strive to foster community-building and healing while addressing the unspoken realities of caregiving. My goal is to design artistic practices that empower caregivers to process their traumas, confront their vulnerabilities, and reimagine their identities through creative expression and collective understanding. 

During this ongoing artistic exploration, new questions and challenges have emerged, broadening my focus. One significant realization has been the profound difficulty of expressing emotions when using a language other than one’s mother tongue. In multilingual environments, the effort required to articulate even basic feelings often leads to barriers in communication. I consider this a form of disability that warrants deeper investigation. My practice now includes exploring the gaps, difficulties, and limitations this issue presents, as well as developing alternative means of self-expression in international and multilingual contexts. 

In bridging personal narratives with global, multilingual experiences, my practice positions art as a transformative tool for healing, connection, and advocacy, while illuminating the overlooked realities of caregiving and communication in diverse environments.