Biography

I like to tell people that I didn’t care for paint when I was younger because it was “too messy.” It wasn’t until a friend introduced me to oil paint that I fell in love with the medium’s sensitivity. I’m a Filipino-American artist based in Johnson City, TN. Once apathetic to the craft but now completely succumbing to it, I’m currently pursuing a B.F.A. in Painting at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). I’ve exhibited work in several galleries through the program, including the Gutstein Gallery and the Nest Gallery. I often depict the ordinary in my art because I believe everything around us - even the most disposable objects - has the potential to be beautiful when cast in the right light. 

Artist Statement

My work reimagines Baroque art as a way to confront religious trauma and shed the weight of past experiences. Paintings of this era often depict religious figures and dramatic narratives, while grand and luminous, carry a heavy air of restriction and control. What kind of art would these historical painters make if they weren’t tethered to patrons and the Church? Borrowing from this artistic period, I use the visual language they developed - narrative compositions, dramatic lighting, and rich drapery - to tell stories on my own terms. Raised in a rigid Catholic environment, I experienced firsthand the conflict between faith and identity. Similar to how Baroque artists had to align themselves with the Church to survive, I too felt bound to an institution that ultimately betrayed me. My art is an act of amending my religious trauma through this theological aesthetic. I take what once harmed me and reshape it into something beautiful, honest, and mine.