Forest Lawn Museum is presenting Filipino California: Art and the Filipino Diaspora, an exhibition showcasing the work of seven contemporary artists working across styles and formats, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations and conceptual art.
The artists in the exhibit – Eliseo Art Silva, Allison Hueman, Anthony Francisco, Maryrose Cobarrubias Mendoza, Christine Morla, Maria Villote and Junn Roca – directly and indirectly address issues related to Filipino culture and the Filipino American experience.
Silva is among the most visible Filipino American artists today. One of his major public art projects in Los Angeles is “Talang Gabay: Our Guiding Star” (2022), the gateway arch in Historic Filipinotown. Silva was born in Manila and migrated to the United States when he was 17. Silva’s studio art incorporates elements of surrealism and is charged with political meaning that examines his experiences as an immigrant and honors the sacrifices and contributions of Filipinos in America.
Hueman is an Oakland-based artist whose portfolio includes outdoor murals, fine art painting and immersive installations. Hueman first gained prominence with her street art, and she is recognized for her distinct style, which she calls “etherealism.” Her artwork has a dreamlike quality that combines human figures with abstract elements and gauzy layers. Filipino California features new paintings by Hueman, including one inspired by “The Mystery of Life,” a sculpture at Forest Lawn created in 1928 by Italian artist Ernesto Gazzeri.
Francisco is a creator, director, illustrator and concept artist who has worked on a range of creative projects, including more than 20 films. For nine years, he worked as a senior visual development artist for Marvel Studios, where he designed iconic characters such as Baby Groot (“Guardians of the Galaxy”), Loki (“Thor”) and the Dora Milaje warriors (“Black Panther”). Throughout his career, Francisco has used inspiration and influences from Filipino culture when designing new characters. He is currently developing multiple projects, including an animated series on Filipino folklore and a vast science-fiction universe called “Creature Chronicles.”
Morla is a multidisciplinary artist best known for her installations that examine color, texture and scale. Inspired by the Philippine banig, handwoven mats used for sleeping and sitting, Morla creates labor-intensive installations with hundreds of pieces of painted paper, found materials and smaller weavings. Her work explores the complexities of contemporary identity, with each element of her installations contributing to vibrant works that investigate cultural signifiers within and outside of her own inspirations and influences.
Mendoza is a multidisciplinary artist who examines the impact of history, memory and nostalgia on individual experience. She was raised in Manila before emigrating to LA as a young child, and her artwork comes out of her experience as part of the Filipino diaspora. Mendoza plays with scale, material and perspective to transform existing images and objects into new artworks. Her work is intended as an act of decolonization that asks viewers to reconsider the history, context, and value of these objects and experiences.
Villote was born in Manila and immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 10. Her artwork explores important topics around diasporic identities including assimilation, cultural alienation and feelings of foreignness. Many of her pieces use recognizable objects in surprising or unexpected ways. Villote aims to highlight the cultural amalgamation that occurs when two worlds collide, drawing analogies between cultures while exploring similarities and differences. Above all, she wants her artwork to encourage viewers to reflect on their own cultural identity, shed light on the challenges faced by immigrants and create connections that bridge gaps between different cultures.
For over 40 years, Roca has worked in both fine art and commercial art. He was born and raised in the Philippines, where he apprenticed for the noted Filipino painter Felix Gonzales. After moving to the U.S. in 1979, Roca began a successful career in the animation industry, working as a background artist and earning two Emmy Awards. Today, Roca works primarily as a plein air painter – someone who paints outdoors – and the exhibition features works that show scenes ranging from rustic villages in the Philippines to California landscapes.
The exhibition was curated by Museum Director James Fishburne, who said, “We are thrilled to showcase this group of artists and their expressions of Filipino culture across genres and styles. From Anthony Francisco’s contributions to popular culture to Allison Hueman’s influence in the realms of street art and studio painting, the artists in this exhibition offer us a better understanding of Filipino culture and its impact on contemporary society.”
Silva said, “Filipinos have been in California for centuries and continue to shape the state. It’s an honor to exhibit alongside other Filipino-American artists and explore the commonalities and variations among our perspectives on the culture of the Philippines and the impact we have made on the culture of California.”
The exhibition will be on view at Forest Lawn Museum until Sept. 8. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information or to schedule a free group tour, please call (323) 340-4782, email museum@forestlawn.com, or visit https://forestlawn.com/museum.