As part of a residency program with Balay Kreative, I was one of the selected artists to create two murals for Kapwa Gardens.
Diwata for SOMA
This mural is dedicated to the past, present, and future Filipinx making a home for us here in SoMa.
A mural for the community couldn’t have been done without the community. I had the honor of meeting with activists and artists for their guidance in creating this diwata.
A special thank you to Oliver Saria of @bindlestiff_sf , Ate Shari Sarinas of @galingbata , Alleluia Panis of @kulartspresents , Desi Danganan of @kultivatelabs , Angelica Cabanda of @somcan.sf , and Rudy Corpuz of @united_playaz
* please note that this is no way in representation of all that make SoMa the beautiful community it is but is representative of conversations I was able to have and own experience
** extra ty to @erinacalejo for SOMCAN photo reference
Malaya
The word "malaya," meaning free in Tagalog, exemplifies the process of this piece.
The final that you are seeing here today is far from the original concept and is, instead, the result of freestyling with guidance from my own spirit.
With no real plan in sight, naturally a diwata in a power pose appeared. She's made up of some of my favorite things and landscapes that I miss and love in the Philippines: limestone mountains in Rizal, fresh mangoes, bright turquoise waves, banana leaves, santan, wild sunflowers blanketing Baguio's mountains, and the precolonial and revival of gold adornment.