Biography

Arghavan Harirchian-Saei (formerly known as Mana Saei) is an independent Iranian-Canadian new media artist and XR creator. She studied New Media and Sound Arts at Emily Carr University and received her XR Development and Design certificate from the University of British Columbia. Additionally, she has an academic background in science. Her project, The Lockdown—a virtual installation addressing physical and mental health challenges during COVID—earned the inaugural New Media Arts Award. Arghavan was also an artist in residence at VIVO Media Arts Centre, where she developed a series of immersive audiovisual installations titled I’m Only Human! Arghavan’s artistic practice is deeply personal, shaped by her experiences with mental health. These experiences drive her commitment to contributing to the broader conversation on mental health, using a wide range of media to create installations in both virtual and physical spaces. She also composes music and designs audio for games, videos, and festivals.