About Mackenzie Bedford

photo by Fifth Wall Media

Born and raised in the mountains. Shaped in the prairies. Led by the stars.

Mackenzie Bedford (they/them) is a media artist constantly humbled by the expanse of the known universe.

They use their work to examine scale, particularly in the ways humans measure themselves. From larger-than-life nature tableaus to intimate cosmic moments, they have explored the emotional and physiological impact when the human-centric scale is subverted.

Their visual influences stem from growing up as a closeted queer kid in Golden BC, using an unbridled 2000s internet connection to escape their natural surroundings.

Self-taught in projection mapping, Bedford has pursued the medium since participating in the self-guided cSPACE Artist Incubator in 2021; collaborating with other creators in theatre, dance, and music. In 2022 they collaborated alongside Sargeant X Comrade during their residency at the Arts Commons TD Artist Incubator.

Photo by Christine Ward

They also create their own installations with projection, offering contemplative or celebratory spaces for audiences to engage with. In 2023 they began to explore sound-reactivity within my work during the GRAND Artist Residency.

They have seen their work featured in Beakerhead, Particle + Wave, Chinook Blast, Night Light, and more.

They are constantly building a toolkit of skills that also include painting, illustration, animation, sewing, and community organizing in order to examine, reflect, and change the world around them.

To find more projection mapping friends in Calgary, Bedford created MAPPERZ, a projection mapping club in 2022. Enjoying 250 Instagram followers and 50 newsletter subscribers after a year of its inception, this small but mighty community is making its mark on walls and windows in the city.

Off-duty, they are picking up the artform of burlesque under the stage name Babz Uka – the raunchy rocket launcher of the Rockies!

Locally known as “the Pickle,” (iykyk) their acts are rooted in sapphic sensibilities and examine the imposed silliness of gender. Babz Uka brings a little dance, a little clown, and a whole lot of energy.

Babz Uka has exploded over stages such as Contemporary Calgary, the Festival of Animated Objects, and Calgary Pride; as well as many dimly-lit bars across Western Canada.

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In the depths…