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A photo of a coloured tattoo that flows from the back of their neck and down their spine. The tattoo is an East-Asian style charm made up of red string with tassels and beautiful floral knots. The string is tied to a jade ring, small beads, and a miniature framed photo of a tree with a branch emerging out of the photo behind a blue background.
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Questions first-time tattoo getters have

Peak Web May 11, 2023

By: Isabella Urbani, Staff Writer I didn’t like my tattoos when I first got them. A week later, I was Googling “tattoo removal near me,” and scouring Reddit to see if other people’s tattoos looked as crooked as I thought mine did. Needless to say, it wasn’t a pleasant experience. I thought I was alone until I found an article about another person hating their tattoo — not hating it for the quality, but hating the reality that tattoos fade. They don’t ever look as they do online or when you first see them in the mirror yourself.  I knew…

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A photo of Smokii illuminated by the sun in a field behind a blurred background of leafy trees. He is wearing a plaid Carhart button-up over a sweater with a white zipper. They are smiling calmly while looking into the camera.
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There Are Hierarchies of Grief honours lost loved ones

Peak Web May 8, 2023

By: Petra Chase, Arts and Culture Editor There Are Hierarchies of Grief plunges into the way grief suddenly swallows you. The five-minute short film is part of the CBC Gem series, How to Lose Everything, which features five short films…

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An illustration of three masked individuals holding paint brushes wearing colorful clothing.
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Q&A with Accessibility as Creative Practice intern, Keimi Nakashima Ochoa

Peak Web March 29, 2023

By: Nercya Kalino, Staff Writer SFU Galleries is hosting a series of workshops for creatives with access needs led by 2023 Accessibility as Creative Practice intern, Keimi Nakashima-Ochoa. The first workshop, which took place on February 25, was for immunocompromised…

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An Indigenous model in a wheelchair wearing a shimmery dress made of fireweed flower. The dress consists of large fireweed flowers and flower petals adorning the wheelchair, with LED lights and purple fringe.
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Exploring Michel Dumont’s wearable art

Peak Web March 21, 2023

By: Petra Chase, Arts & Culture Editor At the core of his drag queen-“christened” trademark, House of Dumont, Michel Dumont is an “old, queer punk” whose commitment to love is infused into his creative work. Dumont is a “Métis, Two-Spirit,…

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Vivek Shraya wearing skintight black bodysuit, leather gloves, and black leather corset sitting in a front of a yellow wall. One hand is extended up touching the top of a glass through which half a part of her is filtered through a darker yellow shade. She has dark black makeup and a red bindi on her forehead looking fiercely into the camera.
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New Music: Vivek Shraya releases single and announces new album, Baby You’re Projecting

Peak Web March 20, 2023

By: C Icart, Staff Writer My first encounter with Vivek Shraya’s work was through her book, I’m Afraid of Men. Shraya’s powerful account of her relationship with masculinity in the context of homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny was unfortunately very relatable…

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Elvira Chan holds her book, displaying the cover with an illustration of two shadows of people walking against a backdrop of tall buildings on each side of the book. Between them is a watercolor gradient of a blue, cloudy sky. They are each on opposite sides of the book— one on top and one on the bottom. The one on top is upside down. Chan is smiling wearing an orange knit sweater.
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Q&A with Elvira Chan on her independently-published novel

Peak Web March 16, 2023

By: Petra Chase, Arts & Culture Editor Elvira Chan is an SFU graduate student in the area of counselling and human development. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication with a minor in print and digital publishing. The following is…

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A human statue looking up behind a red background.
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HUMSU invites you to creatively “witness” humanity

Peak Web March 14, 2023

By: Petra Chase, Arts & Culture Editor Editor’s note: Sara Wong, who was interviewed for this piece, is a former Peak employee. The Peak acknowledges and has taken steps to prevent conflicts of interest or potential bias from influencing the…

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A stuffed unicorn on a stage standing in front of a mic.
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New comedic docuseries reclaims “killjoy”

Peak Web February 21, 2023

By: Petra Chase, Arts & Culture Editor Just as the word “snowflake” has been weaponized by conservatives, “killjoy” is another word that has been historically used to silence those who question authority. Documentarist Shana Myara knows what it’s like to…

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A black and white image showing the torso of a person wearing a gingham blazer over a white blouse.
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New fashion app combines AI and sustainability

Peak Web February 15, 2023

By: Hannah Kazemi, Staff Writer Bintu Alkassoum wants to change the way people shop. Her up-and-coming app, Shopinspo, fuses sustainability and convenience to bring users a unique mood board-inspired online shopping experience. The Peak sat down with Alkassoum to learn…

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A graphic of two male and female symbols divided into a pink and blue background
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Analyzing the lack of queer representation in reality dating shows

Peak Web February 14, 2023

By: Petra Chase, Arts and Culture Editor and Hannah Kazemi, Staff Writer Reality dating shows have a huge influence. With 52 seasons of The Bachelor franchise, it’s safe to say that audiences are heavily invested in all the messiness and…

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