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Pink Sugar
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Photo by April Manarang 


Tess Martens (she/her) graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Master of Fine Art focusing on performance art in 2018. In her art practice, personal experiences are re-contextualized through performances. Between 2019-2020, she traveled and performed in 4 performance residencies in 4 different countries. She worked closely with Marilyn Arsem, La Pocha Nostra, VestAndPage and Andrigo & Aliprandi. She actively performs in Ontario and Quebec; may it be an official performance for festivals, galleries and artist run centers or performing more underground and relying on self to just create!

PINCH ME!
IS THIS REAL?
2024
PINCH CABARET #27
BUTTON FACTORY,
WATERLOO, ONTARIO

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHI DOAN 

Tongue Tied, 2024
Trial Runners,
Ed Video,
Guelph, Ontario

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Photography by Maddie Lychek

I'M NOT THE RIGHT FIT,
2023,
LEGS Toronto, OCADU, Toronto, Ontario

Photography by Henry Chan

Ode to Katherine, 2023
Gary Kirkham
Bo Bardos
Video: Miles Rufelds

Ode to Katherine,

2022

Video by

José Andres Mora

Parallel Lines

KROKA: Sasquatch/Big Foot Burlesque

Photos by John McG

BOOB TUBE, 2022 

with Brian Schirk and Jonah Strub

Rights of Passage by

Lou Shepherd

Performed with Kingchella

& Warne Burns

Videography

Lou Shepherd,

Michael Maranda &

Sarah

Sound by Pamela Hart

Costumes by

Marley O'Brien

Makeup by

Hally Levy

When We Speak At the Same Time,

We Speak the Same Language, 2022 by

Lauren Prousky

Photos by Lauren Prousky

https://www.laurenprousky.com/

Sled Construction: 101
Studio 303 Residency, Montreal, QC
Photos: 
Kimora Byol Lemoine

Soapbox Construction:

101, 2021

Holly Timpener & Tess Martens

Video by Caroline St-Laurent, Video Edit & Photos by Richard Mugwaneza

Give Me You Best Slingshot, 2021

with

Milan Kozomora

Photos by

Richard Mugwaneza & Clement Kent

Brine & Dine, MAI residency, 2021, In Memory of Renee Montminy

Photos by Holly Timpener

Our Lives Are On Hold,
Spill Yer Tea, 2020

with Holly Timpener

Photo by
Milan Kozomora

Ashes to Ashes, Pi*llory, 2020

Photos by Tina Bararian

Colu vs Tess, 2020

with Colu Diaz

Dancing in The Blue Moonlight + Slap It, Twist It, Pull It, Pandora Gallery, Berlin, Germany, 2020

Photos by Adriano Agostinacchio

Underneath the Jelly Belly, International Performance Art Week, Venice, Italy, 2020

Photos by Jacques Martens & Fenia Kotsopoulou

Slow Change, Tangente, Montreal, 2019

Photos by

Sandra Lynn Bélanger 

Encumbrance, 2020, by Johannes Zits

Johannes Zits,

Enok Ripley,

Holly Timpener &

Tess Martens

Photos by Henry Chan & Aedan Rian Crooke

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My Yellow Happy Face Balloons, 2019

Photos by

Sacha Columbia