FILIPINO ARTIST REGISTRY
Allan Matudio
b. 1998, Montreal, QC; lives and works in Montreal, QC(he/him/his)
@allanmatudio / Allan.michael.matudio[at]gmail.com / www.allanmatudio.com
Allan Matudio is a multidisciplinary artist born to Filipino parents in Tio'tia:ke/Montreal. He gravitates towards illustrations, comics and metalwork as his main mediums of expression. His art practice focuses on the Filipino-Canadian identity, migrant worker struggles and pre-colonial Filipino art and mythology.
+ Jewelry, illustration
anata laylay
b. 2000, Vancouver, BC; lives and works in Vancouver, BC(they/them) @anata.laylay / anata.laylay[at]gmail.com / anata laylay is a trans nonbinary Filipinx ancestral medicine worker and curator from the rivers and hills. They are from Hagonoy, Bulacan and Catanauan, Quezon. Currently, they are living on stolen and unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, səlilwətaɬ land. In 2023, they curated the exhibition, “bahay na babalik-balikan” at the James Black Gallery. Following that, they curated the second iteration, "lagi akong uuwi" (2024) at The Cultch. They joined the James Black Gallery as the Assistant Curator and Events Coordinator in June of 2024 and have been continuing curatorial endeavours since then! Outside of curating, anata laylay is focused on community organizing, activism, and continuing to learn and share knowledge as a Filipinx healer and ritual worker. Through continued learning, anata laylay is deepening their ancestral medicine knowledge and continuing to share food knowledge, Hilot, and ancestral altar spaces with their communities. They are committed to honouring their ancestors, community care, decolonization and fighting for national democracy and genuine liberation! + curator and interdisciplinary collage work |
Broderick Wong
(he/him/his)@broderickwong / www.broderickwong.com / broderick[at]broderickwongwatercolors.com
Broderick has a degree in Marketing Management from De La Salle University and had made much of his career in Training, Learning and Development. In 2015, watercolors became his passion. His art has allowed him to be. Present in the moment. He hopes that his art can convey this feeling each time it is viewed.
Some of the recognitions he had earned are: Third Place at the 2020 FCA Postcard Competition ; First Place, Masters Category, Grand Prix of Art Plein Air Competition (Richmond BC, 2018) ; First Place, Harmony Arts Festival Plein Air Competition 2015 (West Vancouver). Some of His group exhibitions include: Fabriano in Acquarello 2022 (Bologna, Italy), International Watercolor Society Biennial 2020 (Pristina, National Museum of Kosovo), How Green Is Your Muse (Surrey Arts Gallery, 2019) and Tonality (Ferry Building, West Vancouver, 2019).
+ watercolour artist, online instructor
Carol Ann Apilado
b. Oslo, Norway, lives and works in Toronto, ON(she/her)
@ carolannapilado / https://www.carolannapilado.com
Carol Ann Apilado (b. Oslo, Norway) is a self-taught Ilokano weaver based in Toronto, Canada.
As a professional designer and mural artist, she recently shifted her main creative practice towards traditional Filipino weaving, where she finds deeper connection to her ancestral traditions. Inspired and moved by her grandmother’s weaving roots in Bangar, Philippines - one of the few weaving towns left in the province of La Union - she explores the symbolic role of weaving as a bridge between the unseen and seen and between the past, present and future. Carol Ann sees weaving as a universal language, transcending divides and celebrating shared stories. Her work aims to honour and remember tradition while embracing contemporary expression.
Since 2022, Carol Ann has exhibited work at Northern Contemporary Gallery (Toronto, 2022/2024), Textile Museum of Canada (Toronto, 2023), Art Museum at the University of Toronto (2024), Alberta Craft Council (Edmonton & Calgary, 2024/25) and SOAS University of London for the Philippine Studies 8th Annual Symposium (2024). She is a recipient of the Crafts Projects Grant (Ontario Arts Council, 2023), the Professional Development for Artists Grant (Canada Council for the Arts, 2023) and Research and Creation Grant (Canada Council for the Arts, 2024).
+ artist, weaver
Charlie Frenal
b. 1998, Montreal, QC; lives and works in Montreal, QC(he/him/his)
@charliefrenal_art
Charlie Frenal is a multi-award winning Filipino-Canadian artist whose artworks are inspired by the beauty of nature and culture. He is an architect by profession in the Philippines. In 2021, he won First Prize in Annual International Mail-In Art Exhibition with his Filipino-inspired painting “New Day” (Bagong Umaga) at Federation of Canadian Artists. He also received Honourable Mention Award in FCA’s Water Exhibition with his work “My Cup Runneth Over”. In 2009, he finished in Top 10 Finalists at GSIS Nationwide Painting Competition in Manila.
In 2019, he exhibited his artworks “Malakas at Maganda” (Strong and Beautiful) at Kamloops Museum and in 2021, “Mariang Makiling” (Philippine Mountain Goddess) with iconic Philippine floras at Filipino Canadian Art Museum.
He and his family emigrated to Canada in 2012. He studied Engineering Design Technology in SAIT, Calgary. He took up Watercolour course at New York Academy of Art. He is currently studying in BCIT and pursuing his Architectural career in British Columbia.
+ painter, architect
Chito Maravilla
lives and works in Surrey, BC(he/him/his)
@maravillachito / www.chitomaravilla.com
Chito was an art director in Manila for 14 years before he & his family migrated to Canada in 2002. He currently works as a full-time graphic designer at Smartfilms where he creates for various commercial and corporate institutions. One of his recent designs is a mural at the BC Children’s Hospital.
Outside the corporate commercial work designs, Maravilla works part-time as a painter. To highlight his talent as an emerging artist, his works were displayed at venues such as the Vancouver International Airport, Surrey Art Centre, Surrey Art Gallery, Lipont Centre in Richmond, a playground at Guildford Mall and a mural at a Khalsa school in Surrey. In 2018, two of his art installation designs were awarded by the City of Surrey and were built in 2019 for Maple Green Park.
Chito is an Active Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA), Society of Philippine American Artists (SPAA) and the Arts Council of Surrey.
+ Painting, Drawing, Designer
Chris Perez
b. 1990, Montreal, QC; lives and works in Montreal, QC(he/him/his)
@chrispperez/ cpp99[at]hotmail.com / www.chrisperez.ca
Chris Perez is a Canadian based Filipino artist practicing in abstract painting and mural art. Perez pushes moments of arbitrary movement to create an inner dialogue with material and environment, like that of an abstract dance with painting. His influences are derived from street art, graffiti, murals, abstract art, and expressionist painting. He explores ideas behind personal and cultural identity using abstraction that touches uses the aesthetics and shapes of florals. Perez primarily uses latex, acrylics, and spray paint as his main mediums. He is currently developing a series of artwork that revolves around public art, and accessibility. Perez studied at OCADU, received a BFA in Drawing and Painting (2012)
+ spray painting, murals, paintings, drawing
Christian Vistan
b. 1994, Olongapo City, Zambales, PH; lives and works in Vancouver, BC(they/them)
@xtianong_ / https://www.unit17.org/christianvistan
Christian Vistan is an artist from the peninsular province Bataan, Philippines, living on xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories colonially known as Vancouver, British Columbia. In their artworks, they translate experiences of distance and diaspora into hybrid forms that fold together elements of memory, place, poetry, and abstraction. They are particularly interested in thinking about and working with water as a material in their painting and in personal, familial, and migrant histories. They make paintings and texts, organize exhibitions and publications, and often collaborate with other artists, writers, curators, and their relatives. Recent projects include a series of projected backdrops produced through a residency with The Capilano Review for their monthly reading series ‘Dear Friends &’ with Western Front in 2023; ‘Rice Cooker’ (2023), a site specific performance and collaboration with Kiyoshi Whitley at Boombox, Vancouver; and ‘dreams comma delta’ (2020-23), a room and DIY gallery space for artist projects and exhibitions that was located inside their family home in Ladner, BC that they ran and co-curated with Aubin Soonhwan Kwon.
+ painting, text, artist, writer, curator
Christian Vistan
b. 1994, Olongapo City, Zambales, PH; lives and works in Vancouver, BC(they/them)
@xtianong_ / https://www.unit17.org/christianvistan
Christian Vistan is an artist from the peninsular province Bataan, Philippines, living on xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories colonially known as Vancouver, British Columbia. In their artworks, they translate experiences of distance and diaspora into hybrid forms that fold together elements of memory, place, poetry, and abstraction. They are particularly interested in thinking about and working with water as a material in their painting and in personal, familial, and migrant histories. They make paintings and texts, organize exhibitions and publications, and often collaborate with other artists, writers, curators, and their relatives. Recent projects include a series of projected backdrops produced through a residency with The Capilano Review for their monthly reading series ‘Dear Friends &’ with Western Front in 2023; ‘Rice Cooker’ (2023), a site specific performance and collaboration with Kiyoshi Whitley at Boombox, Vancouver; and ‘dreams comma delta’ (2020-23), a room and DIY gallery space for artist projects and exhibitions that was located inside their family home in Ladner, BC that they ran and co-curated with Aubin Soonhwan Kwon.
+ painting, text, artist, writer, curator
Danvic Briones
b. PH; lives and works in Vancouver, BC(he/him/his)
www.artbydanvic.com / danvic.briones[at]gmail.com
Christian Vistan is an artist from the peninsular province Bataan, Philippines, living on xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories colonially known as Vancouver, British Columbia. In their artworks, they translate experiences of distance and diaspora into hybrid forms that fold together elements of memory, place, poetry, and abstraction. They are particularly interested in thinking about and working with water as a material in their painting and in personal, familial, and migrant histories. They make paintings and texts, organize exhibitions and publications, and often collaborate with other artists, writers, curators, and their relatives. Recent projects include a series of projected backdrops produced through a residency with The Capilano Review for their monthly reading series ‘Dear Friends &’ with Western Front in 2023; ‘Rice Cooker’ (2023), a site specific performance and collaboration with Kiyoshi Whitley at Boombox, Vancouver; and ‘dreams comma delta’ (2020-23), a room and DIY gallery space for artist projects and exhibitions that was located inside their family home in Ladner, BC that they ran and co-curated with Aubin Soonhwan Kwon.
+ expressive art therapist; visual artist; educator; innovator, printmaker, drawing, painting
Delia Dumadag Laglagaron
Lives and works in Vancouver, BC(she/her)
https://www.deliasart2024.com/about
Delia Dumadag Laglagaron started painting at age 14. She was trained and practiced as an architect and urban planner before immigrating to Canada in her twenties. She revisited painting as a refuge from a demanding public service career.
Art brings Delia immense joy, as reflected by the vibrancy of her brush strokes. Today, retirement has given her time to explore and experiment with expressionism and other forms that focus on conveying emotion with distorted or exaggerated forms and vivid hues. Delia has translated nature into the language of vibrant colours and forms. Her palette captures the drama of the natural environment on canvas interpreted to make it a part of the living space.
With over four decades of public service in Canada, Delia developed and oversaw policies that shaped Greater Vancouver’s regional and urban landscape to ensure a livable region for all. She also established a successful Filipino bakery. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture and two Master’s Degrees in Urban and Regional Planning and Public Administration, the latter from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
+ painting, artist
Ella Gonzales
b. Dubai, UAE; lives and works in Toronto, ON(she/her)
@ellaggonzales/ ellaggonzales[at]gmail.com / https://gonzalesella.com
Ella Gonzales is a Filipina Canadian artist working between painting and Computer-Aided Design programs. She has recently exhibited at Mercer Union, Toronto; grunt gallery, Vancouver; The Power Plant, Toronto; Unit 17, Vancouver; Galerie Nicolas Robert, Toronto; and the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge. Gonzales holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Western University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Guelph.
+ artist, painter
Esmie Gayo McLaren
b. 1986, Manila, PH; lives and works in Lethbridge, AB(She/her )
Esmie Gayo McLaren is a Filipino-Canadian visual artist based in Vancouver, BC. Using acrylics, oils, or watercolours, McLaren paints scenes of everyday life through an emotive use of color and light. She received her BSc in Biology/Psychology from the University of Alberta and artistic training from Emily Carr University. Her work is widely collected and exhibited. Of note are a solo show in Manhattan, NYC, a small-group show Ottawa, and group exhibits that include the Philippines, Kosovo, Italy, and Spain.
In 2021, her painting “Playful Blossoms” was selected for the anti-racism poster campaign by North Van Arts and partners. In 2022, she was awarded a Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society (VAHMS) Award for her ongoing work to build bridges with her art. In the same year, she exhibited with 9 other juried artists in Pagtitipon on the theme of what helped them through the pandemic. In January 2024, she was an invited participant in VAHMS Artist Showcase at the Roundhouse. McLaren also conducts art workshops. She recently taught watercolours as a signature event for explorASIAN in May 2024 and as a celebration of Filipino Heritage Month in June 2024. She is proud to be a participant in all 5 Pagtitipon exhibits at the Roundhouse and one at the SurreyArtGallery. McLaren was co-chair for 5 of the 6 Pagtitipon events.
McLaren treats art as an extension of her personal experiences. Her deep love for gardens, dance, people, and travel continuously inspires her, resulting in paintings that capture both sensitivity and dynamism. Each artwork is a seamless blend of ¬intuitive and thoughtful engagement with her subject.
+ artist, painting
Ferdinand "Chito" Maravilla
Lives and works in Surrey, BC(he/him/his)
http://www.chitomaravilla.com
Ferdinand "Chito" Maravilla, an artist from the Philippines, has lived in Canada for more than 20 years. Fuelled by a passion to draw, Maravilla's love for art started during his younger days at Malate Catholic School in the Philippines, which inspired him to pursue a career in arts and finished a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts, Major in Advertising from the UniversityofSantoTomas. He was an art director at Campaigns & Grey Advertising in Manila for 14 years. In 2002, he and his family migrated to Canada where he started working as a playground designer, with works that are widespread across Canada and United States of America. Since then, he has had an eclectic and successful career. With a portfolio ranging from fashion design, playground design to graphic design, the diverse commercial experience shaped him into a versatile and thoughtful artist. "From a young age, I have held the passion of understanding the aesthetics and impulses of abstract art. I try to expand on various concepts, influenced also by my long-term work experience in the advertising agency;” he adds. Aside from painting fragments and observations of his new home in Canada, the artist also paints his experiences in the Philippines.
+ artist, painting, drawing, design
Francheska Dynamites
b. 1986, Manila, PH; lives and works in Lethbridge, AB(She /her on drag. He /him out of drag)
@Francheska dynamites / francheskadynamites[at]gmail.com/
Francheska was the Pageant Queen in the Miss Philippines-Canada Queen Pride Dame of Progress in 2018. She was the second runner up at the Miss Philippines-Canada Pride Queen and was a finalist in 2019 in Alberta’s Next Drag Superstar. In 2022, Telus Originals produced a documentary about Francis’ life entitled “Francheska: Prairie Queen”. When not in drag, he goes by the nickname Kiko.
+ artist, drag artist
Harvey Nicholb. Tondo, Manila, PH: lives and works in Calgary, AB(he/him/his) @ harveynichol.ca Harvey Nichol is a Tondo-born, Calgary-based artist, known for his dynamic blend of social commentary, futurism, neo-expressionism, folk, and street art, which he refers to as “social-folk-expressionism.” His artistic exploration spans mediums like painting, sculpture, streetwear design, woodworking, and digital art, with a particular focus on storytelling. Harvey is the current Artist in Residence for Brookfield Properties’ 315 residency and has recently released his debut comic book, “AKLAS” a futuristic tale set in Tondo in 2048. He has also painted several large-scale murals for both interior and exterior spaces, including a 15,000 sq. ft. outdoor mural with Jacquie Comrie. He has contributed to projects for Strum in Siargao, Philippines, Engkanto Brewery, BUMP Festival 2024, Festival Place Mural in Strathcona County, Establishment Brewery, Neo Financial’s HQ, Seniores’ and a 90 ft. X 30 ft mural for VIVO, PARK’s Foundation, & City of Calgary. Harvey’s work has been featured in Avenue Magazine, Telus StoryHive, CBC, CTV, FabeFo Singapore, and he has collaborated with brands like Esker Foundation, Beakerhead, Neo Financial, and Herschel Supply Co. + painting, sculpture, streetwear, design, woodworking, digital art, murals |
Iyab. 1988, Vancouver, BC; lives and works in Surrey, BC(she/her) @iyadsouza Iya is a Filipino-Canadian artist born in Vancouver, BC, whose work is influenced by her third-culture upbringing. Her artistic practice primarily focuses on intuitive abstract paintings that reflect her daily life and offer insights into the human condition. In addition to painting, Iya is exploring other creative mediums such as film, digital art, and textile art, expanding her expressive range and continuing to evolve as an artist. + artist, curator, storyteller |
J.A. Tanb. Philippines; lives and works in Vancouver, BC(he/him/his) @artofjatan / artofjatan[at]gmail.com/ https://artofjatan.com J.A. Tan is a Filipino-Canadian visual artist based in Vancouver, Canada. A graduate of Emily Carr University of Art+Design, his work has been featured on a United Nations stamp in celebration of #WorldAutismAwareness (2012). He is the first Filipino artist to have his work featured on a United Nations stamp. J.A. has exhibited in solo and group shows around the world. J.A.’s art is on the cover of the book “The Rise of Autism” by Dr. Ginny Russell, a researcher at the University of Exeter (UK), published in 2021. In 2019, he also participated in an animated film by the same university. J.A. also provided illustrations for “The Social Skills Handbook for Autism” by Catherine Pascuas published in 2017. Together with 6 other artists, he was commissioned to create artwork to accompany a jazz piece entitled “All Without Words” by Justin Morrell. In 2022, J.A. 's painting “Third Movement” was the inspiration for composer Nicholas Sasse in a musical project for Central Washington University. He has also collaborated with prominent Filipino fashion designer, #PatisTesoro, creating wearable art for a fashion show in New York; and most recently, with Italian winemaker Montecorneo 570, who used his painting "Rice Fields" on a wine label in 2023. + painting, nuero divergent artist |
Jay Cabalub. PH: lives and works in Vancouver, BC (he/him/his) @jay_cabalu/ jay.allan.cabalu[at]gmail.com/ https://jaycabalu.com Jay Cabalu is a Filipino-Canadian pop artist based on the traditional, ancestral and uneceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations– Vancouver, BC. His works are made of 100% hand-cut collage as well as other found materials. He discovered magazines and comic books at a young age after his family immigrated to Canada in 1991. As a response to mass media and capitalism, Cabalu repurposes print media to create highly meticulous collages. In subject matter ranging from pop icons, self-portrait and still life, Jay's artistic practice has evolved over the past decade as critique and correction to the failures of media's attempts to depict his everyday reality. By reappropriating the visual language of advertisements and popular culture, Jay inverts depictions of pleasure and luxury to portray a collaged world overflowing with contradictions. Cabalu has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Kwantlen University and has exhibited his work since graduating (2013). A series of self-portraits Jay created from 2017-2019 garnered the attention of international exhibitions centred on queer-Asian identity. In 2018, he exhibited with the Foundation for Asian-American Independent Media in Chicago. In the UK, Cabalu’s work was part of exhibitions with Queer Asia in 2018 and 2019, for which he gave a virtual artist talk at the British Museum. Jay has exhibited work in Vancouver with SUM Gallery and On Main Gallery in 2019 and 2020 in two pan-Asian focused showcases. His self-portrait De Los Reyes, appears on the cover of the McGill-Queens University Press publication Canadian Culinary Imaginations, which explores the role of food as multimodal media. Jay Cabalu has had three recent solo exhibitions in British Columbia: Extra, (Main Gallery, 2022) (curated by Paul Wong), POP ODY$$EY at Deer Lake Gallery (2023) and Bunso (Kube, 2024). His works are are part of private collections in Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and the Philippines. + collage, artist |
Karl Mata Hipol
b. 1997, Bauang, La Union, PH; lives and works in North Vancouver, BC(he/him/his)
@karlhipolarts / hipol.kh[at]gmail.com/ www.karlhipolarts.com
Karl Mata Hipol is a Filipino Canadian multidisciplinary artist and curator based on the unceded territories of the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations. His art practice focuses on investigating the visibility and representation of Filipinos in the Canadian landscape through archival research. Holding a BFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design (2022), he has been recognized for his contributions to Anti-Racism and Social Justice, and awarded numerous accolades, including the AGO X RBC Emerging-Artist-in-Residence (2024) and Herschel Supply Co, Vancouver, Artist-in-residence (2022). His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, with public art commissions across Vancouver and Burnaby.
+ multidisciplinary art, painting, weaving, curator, digital design
Karen Zalamea
b. Quezon City, PH: lives and works in Burnaby, BC(she/her)
@karenzalamea / karen.zed[at]gmail.com / https://www.karenzalamea.com
Karen Zalamea is a Filipino-Canadian artist, educator, and cultural worker based in Burnaby. Her interdisciplinary practice is rooted in photography and critically considers methodologies, materiality, and modes of presentation. Zalamea’s projects have received support from the Canada Council for the Arts, British Columbia Arts Council, and Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. Her work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions and as public art projects across Canada and internationally. Zalamea holds an Master of Fine Arts from Concordia University, Montreal, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Vancouver.
+ artist, photography
Khim Mata Hipol
b. 1999, San Fernando City, La Union, PH, QC; lives and works in North Vancouver, BC(he/him/his)
@khim.hipol / khipol77[at]gmail.com / www.khimhpl.com
Filipino-born Khim Mata Hipol is an emerging interdisciplinary artist based on the unceded territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam Nations. Through photography, Hipol examines how a sense of identity can be manipulated through commercialization. He explores the intersections of tourism, souvenir objects, and official government symbols, demonstrating how countries establish identity through these representations. Through portraiture, he illustrates how individuals use these objects to express patriotism and nationalism while simultaneously questioning their meanings and invoking ideas of colonialism and the “foreign”
+ artist, photography, curator
Kiana Hipolito
lives and works in Vancouver, BCshe/her
@hipolitokiana / hipolitokiana[at]gmail.com/ https://www.kianahipolito.com
Kiana Hipolito is an interdisciplinary artist, illustrator and graphic designer from Vancouver, on the unceded Coast Salish Territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. Kiana obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration from Emily Carr University of Art + Design (2018), which includes her studies at Falmouth University (United Kingdom) in 2017. She currently works as part of the social media team at Richmond Art Gallery as well as Canadian Art Prints and Winn Devon Group Inc. as a graphic designer in addition to her art and design practices.
Kiana’s use of texture and colour within her work often narrates themes of (mis)communication, cultural identity and shared diasporic experience observed in communities present in North America. Kiana also enjoys also illustrating for young readers, often creating colour works inspired by the nature of the Pacific Northwest, and the curiosities hiding in plain sight.
+ illustration, drawing, design, books, artist
Michelle Uy
b. 1999, San Juan, Metro Manila, PH; lives and works in Vancouver, BC(she/her)
@madebyamichi/ madebyamichi[at]gmail.com/ https://linktr.ee/madebyamichi
I’m Michelle — a Filipino-Chinese graphic designer & illustrator based in Vancouver, BC. I created Amichi Studio in 2024 with my childhood friend and fellow artist, Chiara (together, we make the mi+chi of Amichi, which also translates to “friend” in a bunch of different languages). We create art, design, and stationery inspired by our identities, shared experiences, and little joys of life—made by friends, for friends. An immigrant/first-gen, BIPOC, women-owned small business, Amichi Studio's cultural makeup includes Filipino, Indonesian, and Chinese heritage.
+ Artist, Curator
Kindread the Poet
b. 1999, Calgary, AB; lives and works in Calgary, AB(He/Him/They/Them)
@kindreadthepoet / serenesaveus[at]gmail.com / kindreadthepoet.com
"A rising voice in Calgary's poetry scene Marcus Madelo a.k.a Kindread the Poet is a Filipino-Canadian poet and spoken word artist whose work deeply explores identity, culture, and community. Growing up in Forest Lawn and navigating both academia and artistic spaces, he blends traditional Filipino storytelling with contemporary spoken word techniques. As the current VP of Outreach and Relations for Mount Royal University's Write Club, he actively works to bridge academic and community poetry spaces, creating opportunities for young and emerging poets.
His performances are known for their depth, rhythm, and emotional resonance, making him an exciting and influential voice in the spoken word community."
+ poet / spoken word Artist, outreach co-ordinator.
Lenore RS Lim
b. Philippines; lives and works in Vancouver, BCshe/her
@lenorerslim / https://www.lenorelim.com / lenorerslim[at]gmail.com
Lenore RS Lim obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines. She studied Printmaking at the School of Visual Arts and the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop in New York.
Lenore is an extraordinary printmaker who has led an extraordinary life outside the spotlight. Never content to simply work for her own enjoyment, she is instead a pioneer and an important leader in the world of printmaking.
+ artist, printmaking
Mae Facundo
@maebaebay.art/ maebaebay[at]gmail.com/ https://maebaebay.square.site
I'm a Filipino-Canadian artist and creator based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Since I was a child, I've always had a deep passion for art. However, like many children of immigrant families, I found myself on a path that promised stability and security.
For the past decade, I've dedicated my life to the field of social work, where I've poured my heart into providing love and care to others. It was during this journey that I had a profound realization - I needed to extend that same love and care to myself.
Today, I use my artistic talents to create meaningful work that resonates with givers, people pleasers, and empaths alike. I intimately understand the unique challenges and beauty of those who selflessly give to others. That's why I'm committed to providing a safe space for individuals like us to embrace our authentic selves.
Through my art and curated events, I empower individuals to share their innate magic with the world. It's a true delight to witness the transformative power of self-expression, and I'm dedicated to helping others discover and celebrate their own unique magic.
+ mixed media, painting, community builder
Mar Cortez
lives and works in Vancouver, BCshe/her
@marawrs/ ryleramirezart[at]gmail.com / www.ryleramirez.com
Mar Cortez is a multidisciplinary Filipina-Canadian artist creating and living in the unceded territories of the Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam, and Squamish people, also known as Vancouver.
Mar’s commercial designs are relentlessly colorful abstractions inspired by energetic flow states, human connection, her culture, and the pre-colonial Filipino script: Baybayin. From digital art and design to textiles to murals, Mar’s use of bright color palettes is intended to elicit playfulness and effervescence. In her experimental studio practice, Mar continues to explore themes of her identity, culture, and heavier topics such as grief and loss.
Cortez has public artworks sprinkled throughout the city, specifically South Vancouver. She has a passion for creating accessible public art for equity seeking populations in Vancouver. Her extended list of clients include Herschel Supply Co., Arc’ teryx, Tanduay Rum, Kasama Chocolate and more! She is passionate about community and mentorship, advocating for mental health through the arts and is the founder of Paint & Pass. A paint workshop geared toward expression and connection.
+ murals, live painting, workshops, design, artist, community builder
Marianne Valdez
lives and works in Surrey, BCshe/her
@mariannevaldezart/ https://mariannevaldez.com
Marianne Valdez is a Filipino-Canadian visual artist and live painter based in Surrey, BC. Inspired by the natural world and her educational background in counseling psychology, her work explores the harmonious relationship between nature, her heritage, and the human psyche. Through playful and dreamlike expression, Marianne’s artwork often portrays sprawling gardens and metaphorical elements mixed with abstraction to reflect the shared human experience, with a focus on the inner child’s joy and peace.
Beginning her professional career in 2021, Marianne continues to collaborate with local artists and galleries in exhibitions, live events, and projects, exploring the world of contemporary art and narrative illustration. Her works have been exhibited in local galleries and private shows, in addition to the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver. She made her debut in illustration with the children's book, "Fantastically Flow", written by Taylar Ball; later recorded in the National Library Collections and Archives Canada in 2023.
+ live painting, illustration, storybook, painting
Marigold Santos
b. 1981, Philippines: lives and works in Calgary, ABshe/her
@marigoldasantos/ marigoldAsantos[at]gmail.com/ www.marigoldsantos.co
Marigold Santos was born in the Philippines, and immigrated with her family to Canada in 1988. She pursues an inter-disciplinary art practice that examines diasporic lived experience and storytelling, presented within the otherworldly. Her paintings, drawings, sculptures, and tattoo work explores self-hood and identity that embraces multiplicity, hybridity, and fragmentation, while considering the fragmented yet empowering relationships to heritage. She holds a BFA from the University of Calgary, and an MFA from Concordia University. As a recipient of grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec, she continues to exhibit widely across Canada. Her recent solo exhibitions include SURFACE TETHER at the Art Gallery of Alberta (2019) MALAGINTO at Montréal, Arts Interculturels (MAI) and the Dunlop Art Gallery in Regina (2019), hiwa-hiwalay Patel Brown in Toronto (2020), and binhi at buhol Jarvis Hall Gallery (2021). She was selected to be a collaborating artist with Yoko Ono’s Water Event piece in the exhibition Growing Freedom (2019), and exhibited her works in Relations – Diaspora and Painting (2020), both at the Fondation Phi in Montreal, and at the Esker Foundation (2021). She maintains an active studio practice and resides in Treaty 7 Territory, in Mohkinstsis/Calgary.
+ painter, illustrator, artist
Mayo Landicho
lives and works in Vancouver, BChe/him/his
@birthmarktattoos / https://birthmarktattoos.com
Mayo Landicho is a multi-disciplinary artist, a world-class multi-awarded tattoo artist who is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, former school teacher, educator, poet, painter, sculptor, outdoorsman, and environmentalist, who stands among his peers as a world-class tattoo artist. With more than a decade of experience, Mayo's original designs and beautifully rendered interpretations have graced the bodies of artists, celebrities, sports figures, teachers, and other celebrated tattoo artists locally and throughout the world. His reputation as a fine artist has grown to include membership in the elite and internationally renowned Dimasalang III group while his charisma as a performer has garnered praise as an upcoming musician.
Situated in a private fully licensed studio on Main street, Birthmark Tattoos (@birthmarktattoos) is what most people refer to as: "Vancouver's BEST Kept Secret" and is the final destination for some of Vancouver's top name clients. It is a place where stories unfold and become an inspiration for new art, new tattoos, new memories.
+ tattoo artists
Miguel Caba
b. 2003, Toronto, ON; lives and works in Toronto, ON, Boston, MA(They, them)
@miguellcaba / miguelcaba.com
Miguel’s work is akin to an active archaeological site, where they mine their own memories, relationships, and environments to make curious observations about their personal history. Through the manipulation, warping, scanning, printing, and burning of imagery sourced from family and historical photographs, and then collecting the remnants left behind in the process, Miguel explores the complexities of the diasporic experiences belonging to themself, their family, and beyond. (Sophie Rose Feinstein)
+ Painting
Moey Blanco
b. Cavite, PH; lives and works in Calgary, ABhe/him/his
@moeyblanco / Moeyblanco[at]gmail.com / www.ryleramirez.com
Moey Blanco was raised in the bustling city of Cavite, Philippines. Day in and day out he roamed this small yet vast world full of street vendors, wild dogs and neighbors who earned their living by toiling outside. One step outside his door gave him access to a vast array of life. Born to working parents he spent most of his time alone, he used this time to voraciously consume western and Japanese comics, TV shows and books. Through this he developed a deep affection for cartoons that would later become influential in his art practice as an adult.
Blanco currently resides and works as a full-time artist in Calgary, Alberta. He associates himself with a postmodern art movement called Superflat; a term coined by Takashi Murakami used to describe a movement that blends a two-dimensional (flat) graphic design with the more contemplative interests of fine art. Today, Blanco continues to gain a reputation for the mischievous characters he loves to portray in a deeply introspective manner. Drawing inspiration from his childhood, he incorporates fine art techniques with street art elements to create images filled with religious and philosophical considerations.
Notably, he has partnered with Bird Creatives and CADA and has exhibited internationally at galleries such as Secret Fresh Gallery in Manila and ShugGallery in Norwich. Blanco has participated in projects such as BUMP roadworks and The Rise Up downtown vibrancy program and has collaborated with brands such as Tokyo Smoke and The Livery Shop.
+ Painter
Moses Caliboso
b. 1995, Vancouver, BC; lives and works in Vancouver, BC(he/him/his/they/them)
@mosescc_ / www.mosescaliboso.com
Moses Caliboso (he/they) is a second-generation Filipinx settler based on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish Nations. Moses is a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on sound design, composition, and writing. Recently, Moses contributed music for Thea Loo’s 2024 film Inay, a recipient of the Vancouver International Film Festival’s Arbutus Award for Best BC Film.
+ writing for script and stage, sound design and musical composition
Patricia Gasconlives and works in Calgary, ABshe/her @patriciagascon_/ teampatriciag[at]gmail.com/ www.patriciagasconworld.com Patricia Gascon is an emerging artist who works with drywall compound and acrylics, using only the colour red to evoke emotion and drama. Inspired by brutalist design, she seeks to convey her feelings through her art, preferring visual expression over words. Gascon began as a realistic portrait artist but shifted to mixed media and texture after discovering the emotional power of brutalism. Although she initially considered concrete, she chose drywall for its versatility. Since 2022, she has been experimenting with drywall and unconventional tools, finding both excitement and challenge in working with texture. + mixed media, painting, artist |
Patrick Cruzb. Cebu, PH: lives and works in Vancouver, BChe/him/his @gentrified_amateur / patrickcruzinfo[at]gmail.com/ www.patrickcruz.org Patrick Cruz is an artist, educator, and albularyo who considers the role of spirituality, improvisation, intuition, and play as emancipatory tools to reify embedded colonial frameworks and ideologies in art making. Cruz employs meditation, divination, and hypnosis as research methodologies to exhume and retrieve hidden knowledge. His works are informed by the intersections of clown philosophy, magic, and the occult, and its syncretic manifestations and relationship in contemporary life. Most recently, Cruz has been making works using material retrieved from past-life regressions to navigate and side-step cultural and ancestral identity. In 2021, he received the prestigious Thirteen Artist Award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines and won the national title for the 17th RBC Canadian Painting Competition in 2015. He is an Assistant Professor in Studio Art at the University of Toronto Scarborough and Daniels Campuses. He is the founder and co-director of the Kamias Triennial, co-curator of Ben Flores Fan Club Collective with Christian Vistan, collaborator at Boring Earth with Laila Fox, and one of the 19 members of the artist-run collective the Plumb. + painter, sculpture, installation, artist, curator |
Paul de Guzmanb. Manila, PH: lives and works in Vancouver, BChe/him/his FB: Paul de Guzman / paul_de_guzman[at]hotmail.com / www.pauldeguzman.com Dividing his time between his birthplace of Manila, Philippines where he studied Engineering and Vancouver, Canada where he immigrated, de Guzman's artistic practice is governed by nomadic gestures and transient objects, existing in the intersection between language, architecture, urbanism and post-colonialism. His autodidactic education in art was achieved by reading texts on art, theory and architecture. + artist, performance artist, social engagement |
Paulina Constanciab. 1970, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines ; lives and works in Vancouver, BC, Canadashe/her @paulinaconstancia/ pconstancia[at]me.com/ www.paulinaconstancia.com Paulina Constancia (she/her) is a Filipino Canadian artist, writer, and community arts facilitator with a vibrant creative spirit. She explores multiple mediums of expression, blending her background in design, music, communications, and languages to craft visual stories rich in rhythm and meaning. Deeply connected to the island spirit, she highlights the essence of things, capturing simple joys and genuine connectedness in her work. Paulina is dedicated to creating and sharing her artistic journey while fostering community engagement through the arts. + painting, textile art, artist, community arts facilitator, worshops |
Rachel Rivera |
@ radcastle / rachel[at]radcastle.com/ https://www.radcastle.com
Born in the tropics. Grew up in the mountains.
I'm inspired by the land and the sea, drawing inspiration from the juxtaposition between nature and super-natural colors.
I studied communication design at AUArts (ACAD) and can be found occasionally taking photos and painting in the woods.
+ mural, design, artist
Ranz Jaren Tayo Bontogon |
he/him/his
@ranz_jaren.exe/ ranzfilm18[at]gmail.com/ www.ranz-bontogon.com
B Ranz Bontogon is a photographer, artist, and a cultural worker based in Moncton, he’s been living in New Brunswick for more than a decade. Ranz is a first-generation immigrant who recently received a fine arts degree from Mount Allison University in Sackville. His practice as an artist explores the crossroads of his identity through traditional photography and darkroom printing, drawing from his experience growing up in the Philippines, and now as a Filipino-Canadian in the Maritimes.
+ mixed media, photography and darkroom printing
Ryle Ramirez |
@ ryleramirez.art / ryleramirezart[at]gmail.com / www.ryleramirez.com My art practice is a reflection of my journey as a late-teen Filipino immigrant, shaped by the complexities of identity, existential crises, and societal ideations - all with a touch of ADHD-fueled creativity. At 17, prelude to my migration to Canada in 2015, I was able to grow up amidst a community of creatives. I was immersed in the world of design, materials, and the logistics of artistic production from a very young age. This early exposure instilled in me a deep appreciation for the process of creation through MATA-MATA (Cebuano terminology, “keen observation”, “visionary insight”) and a deep desire to translate my lived experiences into an experimental collage of abstracted and figurative moments- across a range of mediums, including painting, drawing, sculpture & installations. I construct visual narratives that explore the fragmented sense of self that often accompanies the immigrant experience. The fragmentation and reassembly of forms, colors, and textures serve as a metaphor for the dissonance between individual identity and societal expectations, as I grapple with issues of cultural displacement and existential questioning. + painting, illustration, artist |
Selena Barcenas |
| (she/ her) @selenabarcenas / contact[at]selenabarcenas.com / Selenabarcenas.com Selena Barcenas is a Filipina-Canadian artist living on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, also known as Vancouver. Since my first introduction to clay, I've gained a deep appreciation for the craft involved in ceramics and its earthly material that invites me to listen and play. It's similar to the attunement that I've developed with my body as a dancer and in return, it has also fueled my practice as an artist and maker. Through clay, I aim to celebrate both the ephemeral quality of its fragile state, and the sense of weighted permanence of stoneware ceramics. In my recent work, I make ceramic vessels that reflect my ongoing exploration of identity and place as a Filipina woman. My work stems from my lived experience and research in traditional methods while converging them in contemporary approaches of making. + ceramic, artist |
Tessie Dichupa
b. PH; lives and works in Vancouver, BC(she/her)
@ tessiedichupaartstudio /
Tessie Dichupa obtained a BFA from the University of the Philippines and studied painting in Madrid, Spain. She was art teacher at the De La Salle and the International School in Manila.
She was president of the Philippine Art Educators Association. She received an Award of Excellence in a juried exhibition of the Federation of Canadian Artists. Her exhibitions in the Philippines include those at the Finale Art File, Sining Kamalig, and the Lopez Museum; and in Canada at the Richmond Art Center and Burnaby Arts Council. She was Artist-in Residence at the Art Cultural & Education Summer Institute, Simon Fraser University in 2004. She is featured in the book: Thelma Kintanar & Sylvia Mendez Ventura, SELF PORTRAITS - Filipina Artists Speak: Ateneo de Manila University 2004.
+ Artist
Thea Galang
b. Roxas City, Capiz, PH: lives and works in Calgary, ABshe/her/they/them
@tthheeaagalang /
Thea Galang (She/They) was born in Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines and immigrated to Mohkinstsis, Treaty Seven territory (Calgary, AB) ten years ago. Through acrylic and oil painting, charcoal and graphite drawing, sculpting with repurposed objects and performance art, her pieces lead back to connecting her Filipino heritage through modern day living in Calgary, AB. They showcase notable attributes of her coastal hometown, her favourite home-cooked meals, and her family and ancestry.
Now attending Alberta University of the Arts in her second year, Thea is majoring in Sculpture, with a minor in Media Arts. She is also inspired by the surrounding local art within Mohkinstsis, and from emerging and established Filipino artists around the city.
+ painting, drawing sculpture, performance art
Vin Cuadra
b. 2002, Quezon City, PH; lives and works in Surrey, BC(he/him/his/they/them)
@vin.cuadra / vincdr14[at]gmail.com /
Vin Cuadra is a Filipino-Canadian neurodivergent and queer emerging interdisciplinary artist and a self-identified anthropologist based in Surrey, Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, on the unceded territories of the Katzie, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo, and other Coast Salish First Nations. Cuadra specializes in using lens-based media, alternative photographic processes, found imagery, and new media. He is a current student of Kwantlen Polytechnic University pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a minor in Anthropology. Through his work, Cuadra manipulates and examines pre-existing cultural, tangible, and intangible materials and their surroundings from an anthropological perspective, creating thought-provoking connections between identity, history, and place within time and space which he calls the “Post Ethnographic Present”. Cuadra has exhibited with the student-led KPU Art Collective in Surrey and New Westminster, Langley Arts Council in Langley., Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art in Vancouver, and the Alberta Printmakers Society in Calgary, Alberta. His innovative approach has earned recognition in both departments of Fine Arts and Anthropology, including awards from the Anthropology department.
+ lens based media, alternative photographic processes, found imagery, new media, Artist, Curator, self-identified anthropologist