Bio + CV

Sagan Yee (they/them) is a media artist and organizer Toronto. Their personal practice includes classical animation, experimental screen-based digital games, alternative controller collaborations, and speculative fiction. They have spoken about inclusivity, community-building and game-making in places like Montreal, Austin, San Francisco, Berlin, and Johannesburg.  From 2016 to 2020, they were Executive Director of  Hand Eye Society, a video game arts non-profit. Currently, they are pursuing an MFA in Design Media Arts at UCLA.

April 2023: Information on this page may be outdated. Please contact me at hey @ saganyee.com for a recent CV.

Education

Masters of Fine Arts, Design Media Arts
University of California, Los Angeles (2023-2026)

Bachelor of Applied Arts, Classical Animation
Sheridan College (2007-2011)

Art Fundamentals
Sheridan College (2006-2007)

Videogames

WELCOME TO NEW LUX PLAZA (2018) 
Vector Festival: Local Host IRL + online exhibit, 2017 

LASER BLAST: THE FMV GAME (2016)
w. The Laser Blast Film Society // programming
Royal Cinema
Fantastic Fest, Austin TX

PUNK PRISM POWER (2015)
w. Alicia Contestabile, Nadine Lessio, Lindy Wilkins, Jenn Woodall, Maggie McLean // art, programming, peripherals design
DMG x Vector Fest Killer Interfaces
IndieCade Official Selection: Night Games, LA

RED RIGHT HAND (2015)
w. Nicole Del Medico // design
System.Failure OCAD exhibit

CHEATING PERSPECTIVE (2015)
w. Tara "Kitty" Renwick // illustrations
Indigicade at imagineNATIVE

HAIK0DE (2014)
w. Whitney French
Winter Bit Bazaar

I'M FINE (2013)
Rokashi // illustrations
Bit Bazaar

PSXXYBORG (2013)
w. Hannah Epstein + Alex Leitch // video content, design
Queer Arcade + Vector Fest, 2013
Toronto Long Winter, 2013
Montreal Sight + Sound, 2014

LONG TIME COMING (2013)
w. Nadine Lessio // art, writing
DMG Feb Fatale Jam
Toronto Long Winter
FanExpo

ICARUS (2011)
Difference Engine Initiative

Professional Experience

Hand Eye Society
Executive Director (present)

TAC Leaders Lab
Fellow (2018)

Toronto Arts Council
Juror, Media Arts (2017)

OCAD University
Instructor, Conceptual Game Design (2016)

Ontario Arts Council
Juror, Media Arts: Emerging Artists (2014)

Talks and Workshops

Signal Boosting and Curation: Cultural Intermediaries Panel (2017) Indie Interfaces, Montreal

Hand Eye Society: Who We Are and What We Do (2017) A MAZE Festival, Johannesburg

From Glitch Goddess to Vaporwave: Dreams of a Better Dystopia Keynote (2017) Different Games, Toronto

Video Games Are Boring (2017) SXSW, Austin

PsXXYborg Retrospective (2016) Different Games, NYC

Ripple Effect: How Women In Gaming Initiatives Make A Difference (2016) GDC, San Francisco

Arcade curator, panel moderator, workshop coordinator (2016) Kingston Canadian Film Festival

Game Curious, regional perspectives on game development (2015) Different Games, NYC

Videogames for Community Engagement (2014) Allied Media Conference, Detroit

HES initiatives Game Curious and To The Streets (2014) Jane's Walk: Tech & the City, Toronto

Transcending Boundaries – Standing Out and Taking Up Space (2014) Feminist Art Conference, Toronto
w. Team PsXXYborg

Going Beyond Filmmaking Traditions (2013) Reel Asian Industry Series at AGO, Toronto

Promoting Diversity in the Videogame Community (2013) Canzine Symposium, Toronto

Animation in Art & Digital Storytelling Workshop (2013) Allied Media Conference, Detroit

Press A to Jump: Animation in Games Panel (2012) TAAFI, London ON

Women in Film, Games & New Media Panel + Difference Engine Initiative Showcase (2011) TIFF Nexus/WIFT-T, Toronto 

Difference Engine Initiative II (2011) TIFF Nexus, Toronto
w. Una Lee

Using Format