TAIS is delighted to announce this year’s Digital Artist in Residence! Welcome Mya to TAIS! Mya (@pisspisspisstits) will be working at TAIS from November 25th for the next 12 weeks on a new animated short. TAIS is grateful to IMAA and the Government of Canada for funding this Digital Skills upgrading program. 

Mya Van Dyk is a Toronto-based artist specializing in 2D and stop-motion animation. She studied Experimental Animation at OCAD University with a minor in Drawing and Painting. She deals with themes of lesbian identity, girlhood, and connection, drawing from personal experiences through a heightened and whimsical lens. With an affinity for explosion and transformation motifs in their work, Van Dyk aims to make captivating short films that utilize the narrative and creative potential of animation. Their storytelling aims to delicately balance humour and realism, platforming the duality and depth of the human experience. Van Dyk’s stop-motion film, Monkey Bar, premiered at Ottawa Animation Festival earlier this year and their award-winning thesis film, the D Word, premiered at TAIS’ very own Animation Showcase.

You can find more of their work on instagram @pisspisspisstits