THANH TRÚC (ALEK) PHAN
(they/them)
Visual Artist | Arts Programmer | Educator
Website: www.phantruc.com | Instagram: alek.phantruc | LinkedIn
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATION
Alek Phan is a Toronto-based visual artist and art advocate whose practice embodies the spirit of artistic innovation and community leadership. Bridging Southeast Asian heritage with contemporary Canadian experience, Alek’s work explores memory, belonging, and transformation through visual storytelling that merges technology, environment, and cultural symbolism.
Alongside their creative practice, Alek leads community-driven initiatives that foster belonging and accessibility in the arts.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS & ARTISTIC PROJECTS
2025
- Flow, Arts Etobicoke, Toronto
- Breaking Boundaries, Toronto Arts Council / Toronto City Hall
- Pride Installation – One Line Drawing, Evergreen Brick Works, Toronto
- Earth Month Installation, Evergreen Brick Works, Toronto
- Time4Change, Youth Without Shelter (YWS), Toronto
- The Gathering Divergence Interdisciplinary Festival & Conference, CPAMO
2024
- New Vistas: Echoes of Home, Etobicoke Civic Art Gallery, Toronto
- Intersections: Thread, Arts Etobicoke, Toronto
- JAYU Human Rights Arts Festival, Toronto
- Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, Toronto
- The Brush Off, THEMUSEUM, Kitchener
- Arts Connect: Virtual Reality Painting, Centennial College
- Time4Change, YWS, Toronto
2023
- Into the Garden, VR painting project, Conestoga College
Note: Works include installations, community projects, and VR-based paintings; several have been publicly exhibited and documented through digital and institutional archives.
AWARDS, GRANTS & RESIDENCIES
- ArtWorksTO Newcomer Program, City of Toronto, 2025
- Projection Mapping Mentorship, City of Mississauga, 2025
- Asian Arts and Culture Trust Mentorship, 2025
- Artist Residency, The Laboratory of Artistic Intelligence, 2025
- Mentorship Grant, Toronto Arts Council, 2024
- CreateSpace Public Art Residency, STEPS Initiative, 2024
- Dean’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Award, Centennial College, 2024
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & ART EDUCATION
- Facilitator, Scadding Court Community Centre, Toronto, 2025
- Facilitator, LA Centre for Active Seniors, Toronto, 2024
- Facilitator, Chuvalo Community Centre, Toronto, 2024
- Artist Educator, Arts in the Park, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, 2023
- Artist Educator, Arts Connect, Centennial College, 2023–2024
- Artist Educator, the Creative & Arts Club, Conestoga College, 2023
- Student Researcher/Illustrator, WIMTACH, Centennial College, 2024
EDUCATION & TRAINING
- Graduate Certificate, Arts Education and Community Engagement, Centennial College, Toronto
- Graduate Certificate, Broadcasting Performance and Digital Media, Conestoga College, Kitchener
- Bachelor of Arts, Literature and Linguistics, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam
- Certificate, Cultures, Providence University, Taiwan
- Independent Research (2016–Present)
Ongoing studies on Vietnamese cultural symbolism, representation of women in society, and intercultural art practices across Southeast Asia and Canada. - Workshops & Professional Development
Participated in national and international workshops on leadership and mixed-media experimentation; mentored by artists and cultural workers through professional training programs.