ABOUT Christina
Christina Yao is a China-born, Calgary-based artist working in photography, video, and installation. Drawing from her experience living across the U.S., Colombia, and Canada, she explores relationships, identity, and place through a cross-cultural lens. Yao holds a Bachelor of Design in Photography (with Distinction) from the Alberta University of the Arts(2024). She was shortlisted for the Royal Photographic Society International Photography Exhibition 167 (2026), and is a 2025 Critical Mass Top 200 finalist and a 2024 LensCulture Portrait Awards finalist. Her work was featured in the Emerging Photographers Showcase at the 2024 Exposure Photography Festival, and has been presented internationally at Sotheby's Institute of Art (New York) and ASC Studio (London, UK), and at Contemporary Calgary, Stride Gallery, The New Gallery, The Bows, TRUCK Contemporary Art, cSPACE, Marion Nicoll Gallery, and Werklund Centre in Calgary, Canada.
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EDUCATION
2018-2024, Bachelor of Design in Photography (with Distinction), Alberta University of The Arts, Calgary, Canada
SOLO EXHIBITION
2026 long story short, Alliance Francaise Calgary, cSPACE Marda Loop, Calgary, Canada
2025 Near or Far, Marion Nicoll Gallery LRT Space, Calgary, Canada
Real to Me, Stride Gallery, Calgary, Canada
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (Selected)
2026 We are here: Chinese Artists Showcase & Dialogue, The New Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2025 Vantage Point, CAA113 SAC Photography Exhibition, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York City, USA
handle with care, The Bows Studios, Calgary, Canada
2024 Shutter Hub Exhibition: YEARBOOK AWARDS 2024, UK
Trial and Error - a Work Show Grow exhibition, ASC Studios, London, UK
Grad Show 2024 of Alberta University of the Arts, Illingworth Kerr Gallery, Calgary, Canada
Emerging Photographers Showcase Exhibition-Exposure Alberta’s Photography Festival, Contemporary Calgary, Calgary, Canada
2023 RBC Emerging Visual Artists Program Exhibition, Arts Commons, Calgary, Canada
What did you dream about last night?, The Bows, Calgary, Canada
AUArts Gallery Crawl, The Creig Gallery, Calgary, Canada
Inter(connected), AUArtsSA HEAR/D Residency Exhibition, cSpace, Calgary, Canada
Lok Jyun (Parádeisos), TRUCK Contemporary Art, Calgary, Canada
Inter(connected), AUArtsSA HEAR/D Residency Exhibition, Alberta University of the Arts, Calgary, Canada
Rewinding the Tape Vol. II-Exposure Alberta’s Photography Festival, Marion Nicoll Gallery, Calgary, Canada
AUArts Photo 23 Open Call-Exposure Alberta’s Photography Festival, Alberta University of the Arts, Calgary, Canada
Mango-Exposure Alberta’s Photography Festival, Alberta University of the Arts, Calgary, Canada
2022 The Raven, The Creig Gallery, Calgary, Canada
Work Show Grow Outdoor Exhibition, Arles, France
Dis. Connect, Summer Camp-BIPOC Art Residency Exhibition, Marion Nicoll Gallery, Calgary, Canada
11th Annual President´s Student Art, Craft & Design Exhibition, Alberta University of the Arts, Calgary, Canada
2022 AUArts Photography Print Showcase-Exposure Alberta’s Photography Festival, Alberta University of the Arts, Calgary, Canada
2020 10th Annual President´s Student Art, Craft & Design Exhibition, Alberta University of the Arts, Calgary, Canada
2019 AUArts SA Fall Show + Sale, Alberta University of the Arts, Calgary, Canada
PUBLIC ART
2026 Everyday Trailblazer Photovoice Exhibit, FascinAsian Film Festival, Calgary Public Central Library, Calgary, Canada
Here, Together, Exposure Photography Festival, outside Trepanierbaer Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2025 Northeast Mini Galleries Exhibition, Rundle Community Association, Calgary, Canada
Wonder Photography Exhibition hosted by Brookfield Properties, Bankers Hall, Calgary, Canada
CURATION
2023 INTERIOR/ PERIPHERY, The New Gallery, Calgary, Canada
RESIDENCIES
2025 Studio Residency, Stride Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2023 Work Show Grow Summer Residency, Margate, UK
2022 HEAR/D Residency, Alberta University of the Arts, Calgary, Canada
AWARDS & GRANTS
2026 Shortlist, International Photography Exhibition 167, Royal Photographic Society, Bristol, UK
2025 Top 200 finalist, Critical Mass Top, PhotoLucida, USA
2024 Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards, Netherlands
2023 2023 Artist Development Microgrant, Calgary Arts Development, Canada
Teatro Group Travel Scholarship, Teatro Group, Canada
2022 AUArts Travel Scholarship, Alberta University of The Arts, Canada
2021 Self-Directed Research Scholarship, Alberta University of The Arts, Canada
The M. James and Elsie Mathieson Scholarship, Alberta University of The Arts, Canada
TALKS
2026 Artist Presentation, Open Show: When the Students Become the Teachers, Inglewood Photo Festival & Pasadena Photography Arts, The Miracle Theatre, Inglewood, USA
2025 “Real to Me,” Artist Talk, Stride Gallery, Calgary, Canada
2025 “Vantage Point: Artist Panel 1,” College Art Association, New York City, USA
JURIES
2025 Artist Microgrant Jury, Calgary Arts Development
