Embodied

In my Embodied series, I reflect on the complex realities shaping who we are as people today. For a long time, we held onto our sense of freedom (Kalayaan). Yet today, it feels as though we are caught and trapped at a cultural crossroad, bearing the heavy weight of a colonial

Survival is at the heart of this transformation. With everyone taking sides, global alliances have become a necessity for many. Yet, even as our panlabas na anyo adapt to the pressures of global acceptance—whether shifting toward the East or the West—the core of our consciousness remains irrevocably Filipino. We possess an innate ability to adapt to new environments without ever losing the memory of where we came from.

Paintings like Dogma 1 and Dogma 2 merge abstraction and figuration to show how we inhabit multiple cultures at once. At these crossroads, the figures remain calm yet observant, anchored by a loyal companion who symbolizes trust and alliance.

Embodied captures this resilience, serving as a visual testament to an identity that bends, survives, and remembers.