WELCOME TO OUR STUDIOS
Balay Open Studios at Be Free Festival
Sat, 6/8/24 from 12p-5:30p
863 Mission St @ 5th St
In SOMA Pilipinas
Balay Kreative's Open Studios showcases a wide array of resident artists and creatives from multiple disciplines. Step into their working environments for a glimpse into their artistic methods and creative processes. Their work, which blends culture, creativity, and liberation, sparks inspiration and imagination within the community. Interested in joining our Balay Kreative community? This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about our team, space, and Kreative Growth program.
The Open Studios event offers a carefully curated experience, featuring an interactive photobooth, Kreative Growth Info Session, creative workshops among other activations.
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Weaving Freedom: A Community Offering by Diwa Malaya
In this workshop, we are going to learn about weaving, not just as an artistic expression, but also as a compass to our pursuit of freedom. Diwa will take us on a journey of (re)membering through questioning, shedding, healing and dreaming. As we learn stories of weaving in the Philippines, we will also weave together tropical fibers, fabric scraps, found objects and recycled materials (supplies provided). Our intention is to create a container where we can better understand our relationship with weaves so that we can consciously partake in revitalizing weaving in the motherland.
We are inviting our kapwa who feel called to connect with their Filipin* roots grounded in the ways of our ancestors, waves of our movements, and webs of social realities. Come with an open heartmind and let’s weave our freedom together!
*This workshop is an introduction to the Weaving Workshop Series (frame loom, backstrap loom, pedal loom and indigo dyeing)
This workshop will take place from 4p-5p.
LINE-UP
WORKSHOPS
Diwa Malaya, hosting “Weaving Freedom”
A transdisciplinary creative currently based in the ancestral land of the Ohlone people. Born, raised and educated in the Imperial Metro Manila, she thought she had a solid understanding of her identity until she migrated to California where her worldview was challenged. Making sense of having multiple places to call home, yet at the same time, still feeling disconnected, led her to reconnect with her ancestral roots. To weave herself together, she has been learning the Ilokan@ language, revisiting Philippine h*story and following weaving stories, which all inform her relationship with the land and understanding its peoples.
Artists
Kristian Kabuay
Kristian is an artist/entrepreneur/futurist specializing in endangered writing systems and tattoos from the Philippines. As a leading authority for the propagation and instruction of prePhilippine scripts, he launched his own edutainment business specializing in custom art, books, events, technology, and apparel. Kristian has spoken around the world at museums, schools, and companies. His work is wide-reaching that spans across multimedia, traditional practices, and technology. He is currently working on his 8th book, 2nd documentary, education startup, and honing his traditional tattooing practice.
Nicki Aquino
Nicki is an Asian Pacific Islander American artist and educational practitioner. She was born and raised in the Richmond District of San Francisco. She received her BA from Pitzer College (Education and Community Engagement) in 2021. Her work documents her continuous exploration of ascribed/prescribed identity, (re)appropriation, perception, and belonging through various artistic mediums— such as relief printmaking, painting, and sculpture.
Mabuhay Gardens
Mabuhay Gardens is a transdiciplinary Experimental Pop band, bloomed in 2015 as a solo project by Solitaire M. on Soundcloud, later joined by Mike Santillan in 2023. With Mike’s experience in puppetry, bands, as a solo musician, combined with Solitaire’s background in singing, video, performance, involvement with DIY spaces like the San Francisco Zine Fest, through integrating music, improvisation, audience participation, video projection, intuitive card/charm readings and zines, MG is a unique offering as an antidote to today’s doom and gloom spiral, inviting the audience to come as they are.
Matthew Davis
Matthew Edgardo Davis is a Filipino-Canadian designer, educator, and artist based between San Francisco, New York, and Manila. He is the Director of Davis Architecture Design DPC, or ‘DAD’, and a licensed architect in New York State. With a background in architecture, Matthew’s work renders uncanny buildings, interiors, and objects rooted in cultural and referential discourse.
Ramon Abad
Ramon Abad (he/his) is a proud Filipino American artist, puppeteer and teacher. He has been a resident artist of Balay Kreative Studio since 2021. He is currently directing an immersive theater show for children at Bindlestiff Studio as part of API Cultural Center's United Asian America Festival 2024: Be(Long)ing Here and is one of the Featured Artists.
ABOUT BE FREE FESTIVAL
This is an annual event celebrating Filipino Creativity & Liberation. SOMA Pilipinas' lively atmosphere makes this a great opportunity for the Filipino community and their friends to celebrate their culture and heritage. You'll get the chance to explore the SOMA Pilipinas district and experience the rich and diverse culture of the Filipinos during this crawl.