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The Dying.series works as a collective that involves artists, designers and practitioners as the decision-makers, organizers, implementers, and innovators of the series.
Since 2019, the Dying.series has attracted over 5000 attendees, and has involved 62 speakers, including 4 opening and keynote speakers and 77 exhibiting artists and designers.
As a collective, we commit to provoking reflection on an uncomfortable topic to ultimately foster a deeper appreciation for the fragility and beauty of life itself.
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History |
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The Dying.series was originally founded in 2018 by Maria Cheung, CEO at Taboo Health, participatory designer and researcher, Karen Oikonen, and Dr. Kate Sellen, Director of the Health Design Studio at OCAD U. In June of 2023, co-founder Maria Cheung transitioned from the Dying.series to pursue a career on trauma-informed healing through sexology.
While acknowledging the significant contribution of Maria and Taboo Health to the first four editions, Kate and Karen worked to co-lead the 2024 edition of the Dying.series.
In mid-2024, Karen decided to step back from her role as an organizer to focus on her individual practice. At this time, Kate and a team of transdisciplinary artists and designers worked together to re-think the organization of the Dying.series with a more collective approach to promote inclusivity, encourage open communication, and leverage collective knowledge and experiences around death and dying. |
OUR GOALS AS A COLLECTIVE |
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Meet The Dying. Series Collective
KATE SELLEN |
LUZ PACZKA GIORGI |
Dr. Kate Sellen is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Design at OCAD U and a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Health Design. She is Director of the Health Design Studio at OCAD U. While at OCAD Kate has served on several program committees as well as university-wide committees and initiatives and several hiring committees. Kate was the Inaugural Director of the Health Design Master's Program.
Kate spent her early career as an interaction designer leading design research, digital strategy, and interaction design in the private sector. She now works on bringing an inclusive and interdisciplinary design approach to healthcare design challenges. Much of her work focuses on design for patient safety in safety critical/high sensitivity topics, including the dosing, ordering, tapering and management of opiates, communication at end-of-life, and the issuing and delivery of blood units for surgery. She has previously held positions at the University of Toronto's Technology for Aging Gracefully Lab, Knowledge Media Design Institute, and AT&T. |
Luz is a Mexican-Colombian woman, open-minded researcher, and creative. She has a Master's Degree in Design for Health from OCAD University, and an undergraduate degree in Neuroscience & Psychology from the University of Toronto.
As a health designer, she is deeply passionate about the intersection between nature connection, mental health, community health, as well as the development of environmentally sustainable health systems. Her goal is to – through creative thinking & transdisciplinary collaboration – develop more human-centered, accessible, and sustainable health services. Luz is delighted to be part of the Dying. team to encourage inter- and intra-personal conversations that can support individual and collective wellbeing. She appreciates the power of public exhibits to open dialogue on often taboo topics, as are death, grief & loss. |
MARYAM MALLAKIN
Maryam Mallakin is a health design researcher with a unique cross-disciplinary background in Health Science and Art and Design. Her primary field of research and design interest lies at the intersection of mental and physical health, with a focus on designing innovative healthcare systems, services, products, and processes. She is particularly passionate about addressing challenges within the realm of public health.
With a commitment to enhancing health and wellbeing, Maryam leverages her design and artistic skills into healthcare approaches. This method not only enriches the research process but also fosters more holistic and human-centered solutions. As both a researcher and an artist, Maryam continually seeks to bridge the gap between science, art, and design to create impactful and sustainable interventions in healthcare. |
SARA RASHIGHI
Sara is a dedicated designer and researcher, deeply invested in enhancing mental and emotional well-being through innovative design approaches. As a medal-winning recent graduate of the Master’s in Design for Health program at OCAD University, she integrates therapeutic, user-centered principles with creative design solutions. Sara’s work, underpinned by a profound understanding of design's impact, focuses on generating meaningful change for individuals and communities, emphasizing holistic wellness in all her endeavors.
She is excited to contribute to the 'Dying.exhibit', where her passion for existential psychology and the exploration of life and death through art and design finds a profound expression. Sara's involvement in the exhibit is not just a professional alignment but a personal journey in understanding and redefining the narratives surrounding life's most significant transitions, aiming to create participatory experiences that resonate deeply with individuals and communities alike. |
CAROLINE MACFARLANE
Caroline is a Toronto based artist and designer on a mission to change urban space through colour and collaborative placemaking. After working as Community Coordinator at OCAD University (2010-2016), Caroline moved to NYC to deepen her education in urban studies, collaborative design and documentary filmmaking. She graduated with an MS in Design & Urban Ecologies and a graduate certificate in documentary media studies from Parsons School of Design in 2018. Her documentary short Falling Forward won “best documentary short” at the art of brooklyn film festival (2020) and blackbird film festival (2021).
Caroline blends her expertise in urban design, interior design, collaborative art-making and colour with her passion for social justice and visual storytelling to create restorative spaces that stimulate healing and create joy. Her practice focuses on the power of colour and collaboration to heal trauma and cope with grief. Caroline believes beauty should be accessible to all and that when we create more beautiful and inclusive spaces, we in turn create more beautiful and inclusive ideas. Her practice has been described as "urban alchemy" by the urbanist and author mindy fullilove. She continues to work as an artist and Experiential Learning Coordinator at OCAD University in Toronto. |
ERIC CHENGYANG
Based in Tkaronto/Toronto, Eric Chengyang integrates storytelling with visual arts by using historical archives, museum collections, and hybrid digital media. Coming from a multilingual Chinese-Canadi- an background, Eric explores the themes of symbiotic duality and paradox, especially focusing on the intersections and proximity between the East and the West while challenging the East-West Dichotomy. Their recent projects examine these themes through the meeting points of visual, literary, vernacular and programming languages; thus, their practice takes the hybrid form of coding, painting, text-based, lens-based and time-based media.
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ANUPAMA KRISHNAN
Anupama is a professional graphic designer with over 20 years of experience leading a team of designers to create innovative design solutions. Her love for learning is a constant driving force that pushes her beyond her comfort zone striving for something new and challenging. Currently a first year graduate student in the MDes Strategic Foresight and Innovation course at OCAD, she hopes to develop her skills in foresight, critical design thinking, design research and innovation to fulfil her long term dream of being a service designer contributing back to the community, especially in the field of healthcare.
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KRITTIKA SHARMA
Krittika is a behavior design leader for Health and Life Sciences at Fractal, a multinational data analytics and AI company. She is the founder and creative director of Maajhi, which empowers people with tools and experiences to approach end-of-life care with dignity. It is the first of its kind offering in India and has grown and served people across North America and Europe. Krittika has been published in the Handbook on Happiness (Chapter: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Understanding Wellbeing in Dying). She also teaches an annual course at Karunashraya, an award-winning hospice in South India, has conducted multiple global workshops including at the world’s first Human Wisdom Festival and spoken at international conferences on end-of-life care. Additionally, she is a writer, singer, and death meditation facilitator. Krittika holds a master's degree in Strategic Foresight and Innovation from OCAD U.
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JOCELYN BROWN
Jocelyn Brown, RN, MN, completed her masters and undergraduate studies in nursing at the University of Toronto. She has worked as a pain and palliative care clinical nurse specialist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre for 15 years. This role includes collaborating with the inter-disciplinary team and patients to develop symptom management plans, discuss advance care planning, end of life care, goals of care and provide psychosocial support. Working in the cancer pain clinic supporting patients that experience pain before, during or after cancer treatments is also part of her role. She developed and facilitates an online course with the de Souza Institute on “Empathy Fatigue and Grief for oncology healthcare professionals”. Volunteer work includes Camp Ooch, Young Adult Cancer Canada, Dr Jays Children’s grief centre and Camp Erin. She also facilitates retreats for people living with cancer at the Brooksong Retreat and Cancer Support Centre in Haliburton. She recently published a book containing reflections on being a palliative care nurse titled, “Love & Loss”, a collaboration with artist Ramune Luminaire. She is passionate about staying connected to creativity and how this can increase resilience, empathy and compassion.
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MURIEL ALEXANDER
Muriel has a dynamic background with professional experience in event production, community/ project management and public relations. She is an alum of University of Toronto and became a Death Doula in 2024. She is currently working on a post degree certification in Thanatology.
In her free time, she works with various arts and culture non profit organizations that focus on grief support and end of life care. She is mom to 2 cats and a large plant collection. |
SAHAR NIEKOU
Sahar Niekou is a dedicated service and product designer and researcher, passionate about creating services and products that simplify and enrich people's lives. She believes design is a transformative tool that can drive positive change in societies and our environment, advocating for its widespread use. From a young age, Sahar has been deeply curious about the meaning of life. It's essential for her to live a fulfilling life and to be content with her journey when it's time to depart.
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