Stride Gallery is pleased to announce the Main Space Exhibition, Shorn by Claudia Chagoya!
Please join us for the Opening Reception on Friday October 23rd 2026, 6-9pm at Stride Gallery
(220 – 625 11th Ave SW, T2R 0E1)
Light snacks and refreshments will be available.
Shorn explores the cultural significance of cutting hair, as well as artistic expression and memorialization as acts of protest. Hair is precious for its slow growth and permanence after death, yet cutting it has symbolized both resistance and control across cultures. Inspired by these contrasts, Shorn examines the personal experiences of four community members and their connections to broader social issues. This project encompasses an experimental video and artworks created with human hair.
The experimental video compiles conversations with four participants–Kt Furness, Avril Lopez, Nicole Tritter and Jia Yang Wang– who contributed their hair for this project. The video also documents the intimate act of hair-cutting, including my own, alongside glimpses into the creation of the final artworks. The conversations that unfolded were focused on themes of identity, self-expression, childhood experiences, motherhood, decolonization, heritage, cultural literacy, mourning, and transformation, highlighting the power of shedding the past and embracing new beginnings. These dialogues were candid, emotional and cathartic, creating space for shared reflection and growth.
Creating each artwork requires extensive preparation, from setting up for each conversation to researching techniques to better represent the stories shared by the participants. Some pieces take months to complete because of the time required to learn and develop the specific methods and skills.
During my residency at Stride Gallery, these dialogues expanded to include four new participants: Tia DeLauria, Miriam Fabijan, Almendra Vergara and Kloee Huberdeau. Some of the resulting works are included in this exhibition, while others are still in progress.
Bio:
Claudia Chagoya is a Mexican interdisciplinary artist born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and based in Mohkinstsis (Calgary, Canada). She holds an MFA degree from the University of Calgary and a BFA from Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Her artistic practice explores topics related to gender violence and her socio-political background, using materials rooted in Mexican culture and tied to various rituals through process-driven methods of creation. Her practice also incorporates the use of rose petals, salt, textiles, and, most recently, human hair.
Photo by Leia Guo
