University of Manitoba 2026 Master of Fine Art Thesis Exhibitions

Séamus Gallagher | Christina Oyawale

May 22 – June 19, 2026
Opening Reception: Friday, May 22, 5 – 8pm

The School of Art Gallery at the University of Manitoba is pleased to present two concurrent Master of Fine Art thesis exhibitions by graduating MFA candidates Séamus Gallagher and Christina Oyawale.

Bringing together intersecting approaches to image-making, installation, performance, queer world-building, and collective forms of care, It’s A Mess and Punk Care Commons examine how constructed images and shared spaces can challenge dominant social structures while imagining alternative ways of living together.

Séamus Gallagher, OH BABY (detail). Image courtesy of the artist.

Séamus Gallagher
It’s A Mess

Séamus Gallagher is a lens-based media artist. They often work with video game engines, 3D modeling software, drag, and photography. Their work has been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Toronto, the Museum of Fine Arts of Leipzig, the Portrait Gallery of Canada, as well as the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland and the National Gallery of Canada, among others. In 2023, they had their first solo museum exhibition at the McCord Stewart Museum in Montreal, as part of that year’s MOMENTA Biennale de l’image.

Gallagher’s practice often takes the form of photographs, videos, and installations that incorporate elements of video game design, drag, performance, and set construction/world building. Their previous projects have touched on their interests in hauntology, queer ecology, camp, mimicry, the limits of representation, and failure as a form of liberation. Many of their projects draw from their background as a drag performer, employing a maximalist aesthetic with elements of costuming and makeup.

Their public thesis examination will take place Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 9:30am in the School of Art Gallery.

Christina Oyawale, Punk Care Commons (detail). Image courtesy of the artist.

Christina Oyawale
Punk Care Commons

Punk Care Commons is an image-based installation grounded in a history of queer punk anti-aesthetics. Throughout the exhibition, the notion of the expanded zine is deployed to aid in (re)shaping our understandings of traditional and hierarchical forms of intimacy. The exhibition focuses on weaving together past and present histories of anarchic communities (e.g., Black, queer, punk rock, etc.) engaged in family abolition—a Marxist feminist framework seeking avenues of equitable relations through the communalization of care.

The physical installation functions as a commons: a gathering space for punks, queers, and social deviants to convene in their desire to destabilize capitalism’s reliance on the nuclear family. Punk Care Commons asks viewers to question how collective “mothering,” the communal nature of the mosh pit, food and housing security, safe drug supply, and sexual pleasure can allow us to dream up a post-capitalist world.

Christina Oyawale is a queer disabled interdisciplinary image artist, curator, and writer from Toronto, currently based in Winnipeg. Their practice maintains an autotheoretical approach with ties to leftist political economy, social identity theory, and cultural studies. This is reflected in their work through the Debordian technique of détournement—appropriating image archives and found text for propagandistic intent. Their goal is to make present the inherent absurdity and spectacle attached to hegemonic social structures such as the family, whiteness, and heteronormativity. Their work continues to be influenced by punk culture, the failures of Occupy Wall Street, 2010s Tumblr, and anti-aesthetics.

Their public thesis examination will take place Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 1:30pm in the School of Art Gallery.

About the MFA Program

The Master of Fine Art program at the University of Manitoba School of Art is a two-year studio-based graduate program emphasizing original research, critical dialogue, and contemporary art production. Students work across a wide range of media and approaches, supported by large private studios, technical facilities, and faculty mentorship within a dynamic interdisciplinary environment.

The program supports diverse approaches to contemporary practice, including ceramics, drawing, installation, painting, performance, photography, print media, sculpture, and video, while preparing students for professional careers in the arts and cultural sector.

About the School of Art Gallery

The School of Art Gallery at the University of Manitoba supports research, education, and the presentation of contemporary and historical art. Through exhibitions, publications, and public programs, the Gallery fosters critical dialogue and creative exchange among artists, scholars, and communities in Manitoba and beyond.

The University of Manitoba is located on the original lands of the Anishinaabeg, Ininiwak, Anisininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Dene, and Inuit, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. We recognize the enduring relationships established through Treaty and commit to supporting Indigenous excellence, Reconciliation, and meaningful change grounded in respect and reciprocity.

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