Artist Statement


Through endured contact, intertwined cultures often develop anomalies that persist beyond their relationships. They come in all forms like Manila folders, Spam, national anthems, games, and languages like pidgins and creoles. These cultural residues and accidental collaborations are often minor characters in the grand narrative of History. I see them as humble icons that are over-shadowed by protagonists and antagonists. They occupy a space in history that is neutral and honest-- embodying a non-objective truth worth monumentalizing.

Language and humor plays an important role in my work. Discussing serious subjects can be delivered in a cloak of humor more easily, much like stand-up comedians do. I try to deliver my work in similar rhythms and techniques. There exists a format of jokes which uses an accent in the Filipino culture that I draw inspiration from, for instance:

A: Use MASTURBATION in a sentence.
B: (makes an attempt)
A: Give up?
A: Many third-world countries suffer from MASS STAR BAE SHON
(Pronounced with a Filipino accent: MASS STARVATION)