Graduate Communications Design at Pratt Institute
Fellow at Pratt Center for Community Development
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My favorite projects ︎︎︎
A marionette crafted from repurposed and recycled materials salvaged from old projects
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This is a meditation on the word ‘manipulate’. What does it mean to ‘manipulate’ something? What feelings does it inspire: indifference, caution, fear, delight?
It varies. ‘Manipulate’ can assume a negative connotation in politics or advertising, yet it takes on a more benign meaning in design or engineering, often describing the ways humans tinker and modify.
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This is a meditation on the word ‘manipulate’. What does it mean to ‘manipulate’ something? What feelings does it inspire: indifference, caution, fear, delight?
It varies. ‘Manipulate’ can assume a negative connotation in politics or advertising, yet it takes on a more benign meaning in design or engineering, often describing the ways humans tinker and modify.
Food Injustice
2024
Food in the Philippines reflects deep socioeconomic divides. While the wealthy elevate food to a status symbol, experimenting with gourmet dishes and dining in high-end restaurants, the farmers who labor to produce this food struggle to feed their own families.
I also reflect on how the wealthy, cushioned by privilege, can easily seek greener pastures abroad, leaving the Philippines when things become difficult. Meanwhile, those left behind—the poorest and most vulnerable—bear the brunt of this inequality. It’s about who gets to enjoy the fruits of labor, and who, ultimately, is left behind.
I also reflect on how the wealthy, cushioned by privilege, can easily seek greener pastures abroad, leaving the Philippines when things become difficult. Meanwhile, those left behind—the poorest and most vulnerable—bear the brunt of this inequality. It’s about who gets to enjoy the fruits of labor, and who, ultimately, is left behind.
The rich can talk about food like a cultural experience, a way to connect with home or heritage.
Farmers work under grueling conditions, frequently unable to afford the very food they grow.
This stark contrast is rooted in a history of colonialism and oligarchic control.
I can meditate on food, while many starve back home.
I lived all three decades of my life in Manila. Then I suddenly had to move to Brooklyn.
Over time, I noticed the gradual fading of familiar sounds and scents from home—the pitter-patter of my dogs’ paws on a hardwood floor, the feeling of enunciating Filipino words, the very distinct call of the coppersmith barbet that greeted me each morning when I left for work—leaving me feeling adrift and alone. Those distressing thoughts and emotions were on my mind while I worked on this project.
Each band was woven in ~20 minutes, making this piece a timesheet of loneliness.
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Over time, I noticed the gradual fading of familiar sounds and scents from home—the pitter-patter of my dogs’ paws on a hardwood floor, the feeling of enunciating Filipino words, the very distinct call of the coppersmith barbet that greeted me each morning when I left for work—leaving me feeling adrift and alone. Those distressing thoughts and emotions were on my mind while I worked on this project.
Each band was woven in ~20 minutes, making this piece a timesheet of loneliness.
Development
This piece was developed for my Technology A class. I was guided by the following prompt:
Ritual is a rule-based performance. It can be public or private, formal or informal. It is a series of activities that involves symbols, words, gestures, objects and often has a backstory. What is the story in your performance? Is the story from you or your performer(s)? How would you transcribe stories – words, symbols, poem – onto your device or performance? How would you develop a vocabulary and language?
