Canada Council for the Arts announces Venice Architecture Biennale Fellowship recipients
The Canada Council for the Arts is proud to announce the 21 fellows (architecture students and emerging arts practitioners) selected for the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, from May 10 to November 23, 2025.
Coming from all areas of Canada, the fellows will conduct independent research in Venice and serve as exhibition ambassadors at the Canada Pavilion, engaging with a global audience, including architects, artists, designers, scholars and cultural leaders.
The Venice Architecture Biennale Fellowship is a unique opportunity for the fellows to engage in critical conversations about contemporary architecture. They will broaden their perspectives and develop their practices, while expanding their professional profile with an experience abroad.
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2025 Venice Biennale of Architecture
“The Canada Council is delighted to support this year’s fellows as part of Canada’s long-standing engagement with the Venice Architecture Biennale. This is a diverse group of passionate, creative thinkers who will expand their independent research in an international context and enrich the Canada Pavilion. The fellows’ participation will deepen the conversation on how art and architecture meaningfully impact and strengthen society, in Canada and all over the world.”
— Michelle Chawla, Director and CEO, Canada Council for the Arts
2025 Fellows
Raya Allataifei
Toronto, Ontario
Graduate student, Toronto Metropolitan University
Bridgette Badowich
Calgary, Alberta
Visual artist and graduate student in landscape architecture, University of Calgary
Greg Culley
Vancouver, British Columbia
Graduate student, University of British Columbia, School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Sarah Earle
St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
Undergraduate student, McGill University, Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture
Alynna Gao
Montreal, Quebec
Graduate student, McGill University, Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture
Narita Reyes Ico
Vancouver, British Columbia
Graduate student, University of British Columbia, School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Lane Johnson
Toronto, Ontario
Architectural Designer
Claire Johnston
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Multimedia visual artist, beadwork artist, relational maker
Fabio Lima
Montreal, Quebec
Graduate student and research fellow, Pratt Institute School of Architecture
Elias Nafaa
Montreal, Quebec
Artist and architectural researcher
Julia Pingeton
Guelph, Ontario
Graduate student in landscape architecture, University of Guelph
Renée Powell-Hines
Toronto, Ontario
Graduate student, University of Toronto John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design
Darian Razdar
Toronto, Ontario
Writer, artist and researcher
Sarah Robinson
Vancouver, British Columbia
Intern Architect, studioHuB architects
Joud Shawwa
Vancouver, British Columbia
Graduate student, University of British Columbia, School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Charlie Star
Hamilton, Ontario
Interdisciplinary artist, educator, cultural worker
Zaven Titizian
Montreal, Quebec
Researcher, editor, designer and writer
Taylor Wasserman
Montreal, Quebec
Graduate student, McGill University Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture
Kevin Wong
Vancouver, British Columbia
Graduate student, University of British Columbia, School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Tanis Worme
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Visual artist and graduate student, University of Toronto John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design
Adrian Yu
Toronto, Ontario
Visual artist and architectural designer
Raya Allataifei
Raya Allataifei is a graduate student at Toronto Metropolitan University with a deep curiosity for sustainable architecture. Her architectural knowledge was shaped through her international education in Iraq, Canada and Germany. Passionate about the role architects play in mitigating the environmental impact of construction, Raya’s experience in a biomaterials studio at Stuttgart University closely aligns with the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale themes. Professionally, she has honed her skills as a co-op student and project assistant at Neuf Architect(e)s and Serotiny Group. This fellowship promises to profoundly influence her graduate studies and thesis work through offering first-hand experience.
Photo credit: Neuf Architect(e)s
Bridgette Badowich
Bridgette Badowich is an interdisciplinary artist and aspiring landscape practitioner. Her practice considers material as witness and the unseen narratives embedded within them. She utilizes a variety of media, including photo-methods, sculpture and rudimentary craft to investigate the materiality of place in relation to time and memory, and the notion of nostalgia as personal artifact. She is a current Master of Landscape Architecture student in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at the University of Calgary and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Emily Carr University of Art & Design). She is originally from Brandon, Manitoba, and currently lives in Calgary, Alberta.
Photo credit: Devin Allan
Greg Culley
Prior to beginning the University of British Columbia’s Master of Architecture program, Greg Culley worked as a Chicago-based set and graphic designer for film, television and theatre. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History and Drama from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.
Photo credit: Mark Thomson
Sarah Earle
Sarah Earle is a third-year architecture student in the undergraduate program at McGill University. She is interested in the creation of space that brings individuals together and that is integrated with the natural environment. Sarah loves the landscape of her home province of Newfoundland and hopes to one day work on the East Coast. In the summer of 2024, she enjoyed working as a student designer with Hoyles Architecture. Sarah volunteers at POWE McGill – Promoting Opportunities for Women in Engineering, where she gets to work with other female students. She is delighted to have been chosen for the Venice Fellowship!
Photo credit: Marcus Chong
Alynna Gao
Alynna Gao, born and based in Montréal, is a graduate student at McGill University’s Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture. Passionate about critical architectural discourse and social justice, she is currently examining the symbolic dimensions and social functions of whiteness, disembodied spaces and architectural hierarchies of knowledge and aesthetic representation. Her work also engages with object-oriented idealizations of architecture and, in response, she hopes to explore the intersection of architecture research and somatic approaches. Her academic journey is driven by a commitment to showcasing alternative methodologies to architectural research, curation and visual storytelling through interdisciplinary methods.
Photo credit: Alynna Gao
Narita Reyes Ico
Narita Reyes Ico is a Filipina artist and student currently living and learning as a guest on the unceded and ancestral land of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people, where she is a Master of Architecture and Landscape Architecture dual degree graduate at the University of British Columbia. As the daughter of two parents from the archipelago known today as the Philippines, her experiences in her ancestral village of Saysain (in Bagac, Bataan) serve as the foundational inspiration for her work. Narita’s design process is rooted in traditional cultural teachings and wisdom, guiding the creation of spaces that blend landscape and architecture.
Photo credit: Megan Berry
Lane Johnson
Lane Johnson is an architectural designer who works at the intersection of design, research and practice. He received a Master of Architecture degree from the John H. Daniels Faculty at the University of Toronto, where he presented his thesis on bio-climatic architecture in the Caribbean. He has worked on projects in the Caribbean, Canada and the United States.
Photo credit: Yugo Takahashi
Claire Johnston
Claire Johnston is a Red River Métis and settler visual artist based in Winnipeg/Treaty 1 Territory. They engage in relational making that centres balance, slowness and connection to oneself, one’s kin and the land. Claire is an intergenerational artist who is inspired by the ingenuity of their father and grandfather to work intricately with their hands. Drawing from the powerful legacy of mid-19th century Métis women’s beadwork, Claire seeks to unfold and give space to lesser-known stories and the contributions of Métis women and Two-Spirit and neurodivergent people. Often collaborating with their father, Claire is currently exploring contemporary applications of Métis beadwork through CNC milling technology.
Photo credit: Andrée Forest
Fabio Lima
Fabio Lima is a graduate student and research fellow at the Pratt Institute. His work explores the social archaeology of queer spaces by mobilizing the tools of historic preservation. Through place-based research and architectural criticism, he seeks to rehabilitate narratives overwritten by monocultural discourses. His current research focuses on non-institutional spaces of queer end-of-life care during the AIDS crisis in New York in the 1980s and 1990s. Fabio studied architecture at the Université de Montréal, in Quebec. His work has been supported by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
Photo credit: Yixin Cao
Elias Nafaa
Elias Nafaa is an artist, architect and researcher based in both Montréal and Beirut, exploring unwritten histories through cultural production. His work addresses cultural preservation, displacement and urgency, with a focus on Lebanon and its diasporic communities. Using data and measurement tools, he reconsiders marginalized narratives, examining the impacts of conflict and environmental change. Elias is a graduate of the Home Workspace Programme by Ashkal Alwan. He has contributed editorial work to Dongola Limited Editions, highlighting SWANA architects, and has engaged in mentorship and cultural programming at the Beirut Museum of Art. Elias currently contributes to architectural discourse as part of the public programming team at the Canadian Centre for Architecture.
Photo credit: Tarek Haddad
Julia Pingeton
Julia Pingeton is a student in landscape architecture and a researcher interested in ecological, emotional and behavioural responses to an increasingly dangerous climate.
Photo credit: Catherine Chan
Renée Powell-Hines
Renée Powell-Hines is an artist and an aspiring architect who views the field of architecture and design through the lens of equity, ethnography and sustainability. Her passion for technology focuses her master’s degree coursework on digital fabrication and robotics. Her work aims to make contemporary fabrication methods more sustainable and accessible in the hopes of integrating this optimized making-method into affordable housing. As well, Renée hopes to see the field of architecture become more inclusive as she moves forward in her career and is working towards that goal by contributing time to supporting young Black students interested in design.
Photo credit: Kodi Ume-Onyido
Darian Razdar
Darian Razdar is a writer, artist, and independent scholar. His practice is embodied, ecological, collaborative and research-intensive—often working with the mediums of poetry, image, textile and print. His publications include Edge Theory (Silverfish, 2025), Morning Poems (San Press, 2023) and COUNTER-MAP: A Poetics of Place (Reflex Urbanism, 2022). He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Theory and Practice and French and Francophone Studies from the University of Michigan and a Master of Science in Urban Planning from the University of Toronto. With roots in the Great Lakes and Caspian Sea basins, his practice is currently based in Toronto and Mexico City.
Photo credit: Chellise Michael
Sarah Robinson
Before earning her Master of Architecture at the University of British Columbia, Sarah Robinson completed a Bachelor of Arts in History and Theory of Architecture at Carleton University. Passionate about creating safe, inclusive spaces for BIPOC communities, her research revolves around public space, community housing and human behaviour. Sarah is a huge fan of film, music and theatre and enjoys reading young adult, sci-fi or mystery novels, watching animated movies or thrifting with friends. For her, the Venice Biennale is an excellent opportunity to amplify voices often overlooked in architecture and design, blending her passion for equity with her love of bold storytelling.
Photo credit: Heidi Evans
Joud Shawwa
Born and raised in Amman, Jordan, Joud Shawwa lived in Athens and Vienna before moving to Vancouver as an uninvited guest on the unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. As a Palestinian, her work is rooted in cultural and diasporic experience and the collective memory of place as it pertains to the condition of homeland. Joud continues to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the built environment through observing the instrumental roles of culture and heritage on the ways we experience and create spaces.
Photo credit: Narita Reyes Ico
Charlie Star
Charlie Star is an interdisciplinary artist, educator and cultural worker whose practice constellates sound, collage, multimedia installation and performance. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Arts from the University of Waterloo. She is also a second-generation astrologer and uses astrology as a framework for research alongside Black diasporic studies, DJ scholarship and exploring the intersections of personal and collective identity.
Photo credit: Zoe Tipper
Zaven Titizian
Zaven Titizian is a researcher, editor, designer and occasional writer based in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal). His variable works—both digital and print—are approached through the lens of his architectural education and tend to centre on acts of storytelling, image-making and archiving.
Photo credit: Rui Hu
Taylor Wasserman
Taylor Wasserman is completing a master’s degree in architecture at the Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture at McGill University in Montréal. With a strong foundation in sustainability, healthcare design and community engagement, her architectural work prioritizes equity and holistic well-being. Passionate about fostering inclusivity, Taylor has led initiatives promoting physical and mental wellness within her community. At the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, she will contribute to global dialogues on architecture and societal impact, bringing high energy, eager to connect with others over shared interests. Dedicated to meaningful design, Taylor integrates research, creativity and community-driven solutions into all ofher work.
Photo credit: Sara Cipolla
Kevin Wong
Raised in Macau, Kevin Wong moved to Canada at 17, seeking broader horizons and new challenges. After earning a civil engineering degree from the University of Alberta, he worked as a professional engineer while leading small-scale placemaking projects in underserved communities. These initiatives, driven by his passion for design, nature and systematic thinking, inspired his transition to architecture and landscape architecture. Now pursuing a dual master’s degree in architecture and landscape architecture, Kevin is focusing on creating sustainable, community-centric spaces that address climate change, thereby leveraging his engineering expertise and a commitment to resilience and equity.
Photo credit: Steven Townsend
Tanis Worme
Tanis Worme is Plains Cree (nēhiyaw), non-binary/gender fluid (ayāhkwew) and a proud member of Poundmaker Cree Nation, with roots in Mistawasis Nēhiyawak and Kawacatoose First Nation. Tanis is a graduate student, visual artist, curator, writer and collaborator. While their education in architecture is rooted in Ontario, their design sensibilities are grounded in their lived experiences as an urban Indigenous person from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Their growing body of studio work considers notions of memory through blood and storytelling. Their design ethos builds on these themes, drawing from intellectual traditions to deconstruct inaccessible architecture, offering alternative narratives of caring and compassionate spatial interventions.
Photo credit: Carmelle Martinez
Adrian Yu
Adrian Yu received a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies from the University of Toronto John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design and is an architectural designer and photographer at Office In Search Of, in Toronto. He is also a visual artist interested in designing composite images as a way to generate critical narratives on architecture and the built environment. Coming from a photography background, he has learned that sight is subjective and heavily influenced by contextual and circumstantial factors that are not always literal. Memory, culture and emotion have become areas of interest in his work and motivate the use of interdisciplinary techniques spanning photography, illustration, photogrammetry and digital rendering to study their implications on our experience of space.
Photo credit: María Chen LiangOverview
The Canada Council for the Arts Venice Architecture Biennale Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to spend one month in Venice (Italy) engaging with Canada’s official entry to the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, May 10 to November 23, 2025. This initiative is open to students enrolled in schools of architecture and early career practitioners in the field of art and architecture.
The fellowship supports independent research as well as practical experience in overseeing the daily operations of the Canada Pavilion in the Giardini di Castello. Some of the activities include:
- managing the pavilion four days a week during opening hours to the public
- guarding the exhibition
- greeting visitors
- assisting journalists with press requirements
- providing guided tours
- tracking attendance
- ensuring the pavilion is clean and that the exhibition content is in good condition.
A shared apartment in Venice is provided in addition to a $5,000 grant to help support travel and living costs.
The Canada Council awards 21 fellowships prioritizing applicants who self-identify as First Nations, Inuit or Métis, Black, racialized, Deaf or having a disability, from official language minority communities, youth, 2SLGBTQ+, gender-diverse communities, women, and those at intersections of these identities.
The deadline for applications was October 15, 2024.