Artistic Research
My artistic practice inhabits the space between the individual and the collective, between personal memory and cultural history. Growing up Filipino-Italian, I have always navigated a complex in-betweenness: the deeply communal nature of Filipino identity contrasts with the individualism I experienced living in Western society. This tension is at the core of my work.
By focusing on my own story—my brown skin, my hybrid identity, and my experience of cultural displacement—I create a mirror for collective narratives that have been fractured or erased by colonial histories. My paintings of brown women are not just self-portraits; they are visual acts of remembrance and reclamation for a whole people.
In pausing to reflect on myself, I reclaim the collective. This act of personal reflection becomes a form of resistance against colonial mentalities that prioritize whiteness and individual achievement, while erasing indigenous histories and communal ways of being.
Through my art, I seek to create a space where personal identity and collective memory intersect. This allows for new stories to emerge—stories that honor ancestral strength, highlight ongoing colonial legacies, and celebrate the resilience of Southeast Asian communities. My practice contributes to a broader conversation about decolonization that is at once deeply personal and powerfully communal.
Silip II, Acrylic on canvas, triptych, tot. dim. 195x90cm, Milan, Italy, 2023
Kayumanggi – Reclaiming Identity Through Art
My research centers on kayumanggi—the rich, warm shades of brown skin that embody Filipino identity beyond colonial beauty standards. This exploration is both a personal and cultural reclamation of brownness as a source of pride, power, and connection to ancestral roots.
Growing up between Filipino and Italian cultures, I experienced firsthand the tensions around skin color—the pressure to lighten or erase brownness in favor of Western ideals. Through my art and research, I seek to dismantle these colonial mentalities and challenge colorism within Filipino society and beyond.
By visually celebrating kayumanggi, I aim to reposition brown skin as a site of resistance, healing, and collective memory. My work invokes ancestral symbolism, precolonial histories, and indigenous aesthetics to reconnect contemporary Filipino identity with its authentic past.
This research is part of a broader effort to decolonize representation and create narratives that honor the complexity and beauty of brownness, inviting dialogue on how skin color shapes identity, belonging, and self-worth in postcolonial contexts.