WORKS

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The apartment I live in always seems to reek of grease, garlic, soy sauce, or fish. The rice cooker is always kept warm and the table is never empty. When visitors come, food is shoved into their mouths the second they arrive. Filipino food, to me, is colorful, flavorful, and diverse. However, with my white peers, it's foreign, exotic, and stinky. I wanted to convey this juxtaposition in a painting which explains my animalistic face while eating and abstract painting style. “Kain Tayo” is Tagalog for “let's eat” which is always a phrase that signifies good food and conversation; it is the place we come to celebrate despite the hate we receive away from the table

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The recent spike in Asian hate crimes in America due to COVID had inspired this piece. Though this is seen as recent news, Asian hate is largely unknown in American Education. This piece contains a real image from WWII of a Chinese factory worker wearing a sign that reads “Me Chinese No Japanese Please,” as tensions between Japanese immigrants and Americans were at its peak. Though this racism took place many decades ago, history repeats itself, with Japanese, Filipino, and Vietnamese people all being reported beaten and killed in broad daylight for a disease that originated in China. I have modernized the image by putting it on a laptop and making the figure, myself, distraught with a mask on

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Often times it is the women in our society who uphold responsibilities pertaining to the family image. Here, I showcase my own grandmother but also countless other Lolas out there who have faced shame and abuse within Filipino culture. The icons in the background, such as the spam and Baybayin calligraphy, represent the cultural practices surrounding the Lola

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Persimmons have become a symbol for Asian culture. It’s a fruit many do not know about—it's foreign and hard to pronounce. But, when examined closely, it looks somewhat familiar. I take this as a metaphor for Asians in the U.S.: stuck in an in-between of assimilation but still being marginalized. Fruit, or food in general, is also how my mother presented apologies and was always something I despised. But, as I grew older, I came to love the fruit, just like my culture

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Experimented in an sumi-e painting style in free time. Utilized salts and variations in brush strokes

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Xialing is a piece inspired by Asian American Hollywood movies. Using acrylic paint, I tried to emulate the same style that vintage movies posters had in the late 20th century. The movie character depicted in the work is Xialing from the blockbuster movie “Shang Chi”. Asian representation in the media is rare, so this piece shows my appreciation towards the diverse efforts in the movie and connects back to my theme of the Asian Diaspora in the U.S

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Not only was this piece a chance to explore an unknown facet of my Asian culture, but it provided me insight into Asian architecture (from my sketchbook)

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Shibori Dye is an ancient Japanese dying technique utilizing different pieces of wood and indigo to dye. Here, I explored and connected back to my Asian roots creating four different designs and folding techniques. Often, tie-dye is commercialized and seen as a trend, and rarely are the Japanese credited for creating such trends and cultural artifacts. It is the classic tale of the Asian experience being discredited. For reference, I discovered this technique through an Asian social media influencer Ameya Okamoto

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Collage made from a collection of sketches using ink, graphite, and magazine text