People
Kevin Chong
Jack and Doris Shadbolt Fellow in the Humanities
Chong's term as a Shadbolt Fellow runs from September 2026 to May 2027.
Kevin Chong (he/him) is the author of eight books of fiction and nonfiction, including his forthcoming novel, Yorick Yip Meets the Local God. His novel, The Double Life of Benson Yu, was a finalist for the 2023 Giller Prize, and he has published widely as a journalist.
Chong is an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus and he lives with his family in Vancouver.
Evan Lee
Jack and Doris Shadbolt Fellow in the Humanities
Lee's term as a Shadbolt Fellow runs from September 2026 to May 2027.
Evan Lee (he/him) is a visual artist based in Vancouver. Lee graduated with an MFA from the University of British Columbia in 2000 and is known for exhibitions of his experimental photography and painting, and also for working across a range of media and subjects, as well as teaching and writing.
Lee has exhibited in numerous museums and institutions including the Presentation House Gallery (now Polygon Gallery), Vancouver Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of Windsor, the Contemporary Art Gallery, the Surrey Art Gallery, the Richmond Art Gallery, the Confederation Centre for the Arts, the Liu Hai Su Art Museum and at the Winnipeg Art Gallery as a Sobey Art Award Finalist in 2014.
Lee’s work has been published in Artforum, Frieze, Canadian Art Magazine, Art on Paper, Border Crossings, Flash Art, Yishu Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art and is represented by Monte Clark Gallery. Upcoming projects include an artist book with author Kevin Chong to be published by Figure1 Publishing, and a solo exhibition at the West Vancouver Museum in 2027.
Tarique Qayumi
Jack and Doris Shadbolt Fellow in the Humanities
Qayumi's term as a Shadbolt Fellow runs from September 2026 to May 2027.
Tarique Qayumi (he/him) is an award-winning Afghan-Canadian filmmaker whose work explores resilience, displacement, family, and the search for identity and belongingness amid political and personal upheaval. His dramatic escape from Afghanistan, hidden in the back of a truck with his mother, inspired him to become a storyteller.
A graduate of UCLA’s MFA program, Qayumi has directed for television, including CBC’s Allegiance through the Warner Access x Academy Directing Program. His second feature, Black Kite, a historical drama blending animation, documentary, and live action, premiered at TIFF, screened at more than 20 festivals, and won three Leo Awards for Best Writer, Best Direction, and Best Picture before being acquired by Amazon Studios. His third feature, Conceiving Clara, premiered at the Canadian Film Festival.
His projects have received support from Telefilm Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts, the BC Arts Council, and CBC. He serves on the Directors Advisory Board of DGC-BC, has mentored emerging screenwriters at the Whistler Film Festival, and has served as a jury member for VIFF’s Arbutus Award.