The Exhibit

Below is a video I shared with over 500 students to help inspire them in their DES 001 course. Watch this quick 2-minute video to see how my project began as a simple introductory class assignment and launched into a full-scale exhibition.

The original exhibition I created inspired my further collaboration with other Filipino artists in promoting them within the Fine Art world.

A stairway exhibition centered around the theme of Filipino identity was on display at the Pence Gallery December 6-29th, 2024. During the opening night, “Pray Nako” by Leigh Miller, featured in the photo, sold within the first few hours.

My family also donated a traditional dress with detachable bell sleeves, displayed at the top of the stairway of the exhibition.

Featured left to right is my Tita Darlene, younger cousins Raphael and Gabby, my mother, and my Tito Jasper who all came out to support the exhibition on the opening night. Watching them light up at artwork and clothes that spoke to them and their childhood filled me with joy. My family’s reactions and the others I saw from observers reminded me of why I started the project in the first place and the importance of its mission.

The Impact

Works Exhibited

  • Judy Catambay, Echoes Across the Water, 16” x 11”, ceramic, 2024, $575

  • Leigh Miller, The Underlying Motive (Ay Nako), 12"x 18", collage, 2024, $60

  • Drew Vallero, Kuya, 12x20, oil paint, 2022, NOT FOR SALE

  • Julie Bernadeth Crumb, Prodigal Daughter 1, 20x20, film emulsion print, 2024, $222

  • Deziree Seidner, Perlas ng Silanganan (Pearl of the East), 8"x10", pastels on pastelbord, 2024, $360

  • Ezra Jade Moral, Wanna take pictures of me eating a mango?, 13 in x 19 in, photography print, 2024, NOT FOR SALE

  • Norman Aragones, Growing Up, 7" x 11", film photography, 2020, $850

  • Nicole Paja, Extending the Calamansi Branch, 12" x18", watercolor and pastel, 2022, $80

Details from the Original Exhibit

Caution! Imported. Foreign.

An image of the Philippines surrounded by torn up "Fragile" words. Crates with conflicting messages, pointing in different directions. What do you feel when you see these? Is there a certain voice that you hear? How does this reflect stereotypes or hurtful messages against Asian identities? 

A Living People 

The clothes are placed in such a way that makes them feel alive and moving. Not only are they clothes being transported across the ocean, but they are also the travelers that wear them. How do you view their emotions and actions? What are they saying to each other? Who are they?  How old are they? 

Fashion through the Ages

To celebrate Filipino fashion, I created a zine, or a small, pocket-sized magazine, that showcased Filipino fashion by the era. It is incredible how diverse and unique each era is and the kinds of ways we still can see the influence of Filipino design. 

Knowledge on pre-colonial fashion is limited, but even modern attire still holds true to traditional wear.  Featured in the zine is Filipina fashion pioneer Salvacion Lim Higgins, also known as "Slim". She revolutionized the modern terno or bell-sleeved dress that celebrities still wear to this day. Traces of Filipino fashion can be seen all over celebrities, sports, and political figures. Fun Fact: Did you know Obama wore a Barong Tagalog? 

The Process Book