Click the arrows to scroll through images.
May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada - a time to learn about and celebrate the many contributions of Canadians of Asian descent, who have done so much to make our country an amazing place to live. Immigrants to Canada from East Asia, Southern Asia, Western, Central and Southeast Asia have brought with them a rich cultural history, including diverse languages, art, religions and traditions.
We're celebrating Asian Heritage Month by highlighting a few of the diverse artworks in our collection by Canadians of Asian descent!
About the Artist: Paresh Athparia
Paresh Athparia is a self-taught artist.
He was born in India and lived there for 25 years, until he moved to the United States in 1977. In 1980, Athparia moved to Canada and worked as a geologist in the oil industry for three years. He left to pursue his long-time passion for art.
About the Artist: Arthur Nishimura
Arthur Nishimura was born in Raymond, Alberta. His parents, Japanese immigrants, came to the area in the late 1910s. His father took up photography as a way to capture his life in Canada to share with family and friends back in Japan. He passed down his interest in photography to his son.
According to the Japanese Canadian Artists Directory, Nishimura's artistic photography is informed by his love of the prairie landscape, an aesthetic derived from his Japanese heritage, and the unique visual education acquired through many years of composing through the lens of a camera. His notable influences are the photographs of Walker Evans, Edward Weston, and Dorothea Lange, as well as the works of American painter, Edward Hopper.
Nishimura taught at the University of Calgary in the Faculty of Fine Arts from 1971 until his retirement in 2010. He still resides in Calgary.
About the Artist: Marigold Santos
Born in Manila, Philippines and immigrating to Canada in the late 1980s, Filipinx-Canadian artist Marigold Santos is an interdisciplinary artist. Her practice ranges from drawing, painting, sculpture, installation and tattoo.
You can read more about Marigold Santos and her artistic practice here: AFA Alberta Artist Profile - Marigold Santos.