CHAINS
Artist. Strategist. Protocol.
Chains is the transdisciplinary identity of Steph Hoff, a former commercial creative director turned systems artist. Her work operates at the intersection of ritual, network ethics, and human-machine ecology—constructing speculative infrastructures for post-capitalist life.
With a background in global brand storytelling and a lived critique of it, Chains doesn’t just make art—she intervenes. Through Sacred Protocol, her ongoing research into AI, symbolism, and spiritual design, she explores how decentralized tools might enable new forms of collective memory, care, and sovereignty.
Her practice resists traditional art world validation, opting instead to encode her works directly into distributed systems and peer-to-peer archives. Zines, shrines, Telegram groups, digital relics, and prayer protocols become vectors—ways of restoring symbolic depth to a world stripped bare by optimization.
Currently, Chains lives and works from the Great Lakes basin, collaborating with open-source networks, AI agents, and the unseen intelligence of plants. She believes in the sacred utility of design: not as surface, but as infrastructure for being.
Artist-Researcher, Sacred Protocol
Hamilton, 2023–Present
Exploring spiritual AI, ecological aesthetics, and ritual through a transdisciplinary lens. Currently developing a decentralized network of shrines, AI agents, and symbolic artifacts.
Head of Brand & Comms, Inference Labs
Hamilton, 2023
Leading strategic communications for a cryptographic AI infrastructure company. Oversight includes brand development, publishing, content strategy, and Web3-native community building.
Creative Director, Ledn
Toronto, 2021–2023
Developed brand strategy to onboard the early majority into crypto investing. Led branding, education, and contextual storytelling to demystify Web3.
Creative Director, Tonal
San Francisco, 2020–2021
Built creative infrastructure and campaign strategy from the ground up. Work included the LeBron James brand partnership, programmatic ad innovation, and a national collaboration with Nordstrom.
Creative Director, Ecobee
Toronto, 2019–2020
Led creative for Strategy Magazine’s Brand of the Year (2020) and TIME’s Most Innovative Product (2020). Operationalized the brand's shift into narrative-led innovation.
Executive Creative Producer, Biannual
New York, 2018–2023
Produced and launched a fashion brand under Moose Knuckles' parent company, Corwick. Directed brand identity, editorial voice, and go-to-market strategy.
Creative Director, Moose Knuckles
New York, 2016–2019
Rebranded and scaled a Canadian outerwear company into a globally distributed luxury label. Oversaw all creative touchpoints during its transition to public ownership.
Brand & Communications Consultant, Free Agency
Toronto, 2015
Consulted on the launch of thecreatorclass.com, a cross-branded digital content initiative in partnership with Canon Canada.
Senior Events & Marketing, Topshop/Topman
Toronto, 2013–2015
Launched Topshop in Canada across 14 Hudson’s Bay concessions. Led all national brand events and retail activations.
Independent Interarts Practice, Credo
St. Jacob’s, 2018–2023
Studied quilting and slow craft with a Mennonite sewing circle outside St. Jacob’s, Ontario. This work forms a foundation for Sacred Protocol’s ecological and ancestral inquiry.
“Simply stated: Steph Hoff is a unicorn. Whether she’s pairing clashing prints, taking proportions to the extreme or blurring traditional gender lines, everything she does just works. A fan of Maison Margiela tabis, elevated sportswear and luxury denim in all shapes and sizes, the creative director turned transdisciplinary artist exudes a prowess for styling, and the confidence to pull it all off. Don’t be fooled by the prevalence of Bottega Veneta, Issey Miyake and Marine Serre on her IG feed; her closet is chock full of incredible vintage pieces too. This is *the* account to reference for style inspiration, no matter who you are.”
“Her expansive knowledge and experience of marketing, new media, creative production, branding and trend forecasting has been sought by numerous brands far and wide throughout Canada and the US. Steph’s utilizing and authentic approach is evident in all that she does: from her handmade quilts that have been a creative outlet since childhood, to her inspiration reference points that stem from anti-establishment mentalities, 1960’s sci-fi movies and everything in between.”
“Her innate sense of style and a savvy awareness of street culture give her a unique lens that she uses to filter and focus corporate initiatives into provocative campaigns.”
“Creative Director Steph Hoff, the woman intent on making marketing fun.”
“Vancouver DJ-turned-marketing guru exemplifies the city’s easy-breezy, creative-cool style code… (Steph) tells emotionally driven stories through visually arresting campaigns.”