Seema Shah is a self-taught collage artist and writer whose creative journey began after the onset of chronic illness. An unexpected detour turned into a new path.

Tapping into the subconscious, Seema pieces together narratives that are dark and questioning. She often incorporates text into her collages and also writes autobiographical creative nonfiction. Her lived experience of complex mental health issues largely informs her work.

Seema was a recipient of the Beaumont Studios Artist To Watch Award 2022, a highly commended artist in the 2022 & 2023 Contemporary Collage Magazine Awards, and was longlisted for the Susan Crean Award for Nonfiction 2023.

Off the Map: Vancouver Writers with Lived Experience of Mental Health Issues, an anthology Seema co-edited with Betsy Warland and Kate Bird, will be published by Bell Press in May 2025.

Seema will have her third solo exhibition in August 2025 at Outsiders and Others gallery in Vancouver, BC.

“Seema Shah’s artwork takes time to absorb and digest the small and intricate details. She has a great ability to balance the use of vintage materials, collage, paint, and text to draw the viewer in to her dark and contemplative spaces.” – Yuri Arajs, Gallery Director and Curator, Outsiders and Others