Building Cultural Identity Through Design in SOMA Pilipinas with Ciriaco Sayoc
If you’ve walked around SOMA Pilipinas, you’ve probably already laid eyes on Ciriaco Sayoc’s work. As one of Balay Kreative’s artist in residence, he’s the man behind our living walls at Kapwa Gardens and the signage right here in Balay Kreative studios.
As a multidisciplinary artist, Ciriaco, also known as “Cir”, has always had an innate drive to put things together. He went to school for fashion, and made a career working as a designer for brands such as Levi’s and The North Face. In 2019, he established his own brand called Non Uniform Standard where he’s not only putting things together but also telling a unique story within it, using all types of materials. Looking at his build work alone, Cir’s attention to detail is immaculate, sharp, and despite being made for the SOMA community, characteristically his own. Each piece constructed with meaning and intention that even if stared at for hours would barely scratch the surface of its full essence.
In an interview with Jada Montez, he speaks with a careful, yet uncontainable, excitement about creating art - a process that at times feels so powerful it’s hard to describe. Which makes sense because, like all great artists, Cir’s work contain a vast presence that, without words, already speaks volumes.
Profile by Chloe Samillano.
“Balay Kreative, its name and essence is home for a lot of people, home for myself, home for my creativity in a lot of ways. The space as a collaboration space has been great…it has opened doors for [the] creative process.”
Can you tell us a little bit about your art practice/artistic background?
My name is Ciriaco Sayoc. Most people call me “Cir”. I am, at this point, a multidisciplinary artist in a lot of ways. My background is a fashion designer by profession, so I went to school for that. But I moved into doing a lot of build work as well as puppetry. Yeah I guess it just really depends. I’ve been doing a lot of everything [Laughs].
As I’m practicing and exploring my art, I’m looking into minimalist ethos and craftsmanship details. Those are the two things I’m setting as my boundaries.
Why do you create? What is the purpose/values behind your art practice?
This is a good question. I think there’s something innately in me that wants to come out and put things together. I see materials, I see fabric, I see hardwoods, and think about how they can combine and what kind of shapes can come out of them. Or even recycled material. There’s something in me that’s driving me to want to put things out.
How would you describe Balay Kreative?
Balay Kreative, its name and essence is home for a lot of people, home for myself, home for my creativity in a lot of ways. The space as a collaboration space has been great because we’ve been able to just bounce ideas off each other and really absorb each other’s energy in a lot of ways. It has opened doors for [the] creative process.
How has Balay helped you grow as an artist?
Definitely has allowed me to explore a lot of builds. Different types of work that I wouldn’t normally, like professionally not be doing [with fashion]. And so it has actually allowed me to do it professionally now.
“I think there’s something innately in me that wants to come out and put things together. I see materials, I see fabric, I see hardwoods, and think about how they can combine and what kind of shapes can come out of them.”
How has your experience been at Balay as a resident artist?
My experience at Balay has been good. Again I think I’ve been allowed to explore a lot of mediums that I wasn’t normally getting into and so because of that, it has expanded what I can do. It’s allowed cross-conversation between different artists which is always inspirational. That has been helping me grow, helping me get perspectives.
How has it been like having your own studio space?
Having my own studio space has been fun. You can do something, leave it as a mess, which I normally do [Laughs]. And I’m allowed to just leave and come back and restart my thought process again and be like ‘oh yeah this is what I’m supposed to be doing’. So yeah, having space is necessary.
Cir in his studio space at Balay Kreative.
What projects have you made here in Balay and how has it been like to create them for the SOMA Pilipinas community?
The projects I have made here for SOMA…oh wow that’s a lot [Laughs]. You can go anywhere from Kapwa Gardens - you can see some of the living walls over there. I did some of the initial cutouts over here [in Balay] for that. Then [you can] go all the way to the cultural center - I was able to make a non-typical painting pedestal that kind of represented a gallows to inform some of the artists’ work, so that was fun. Last year, I was also able to create the parols for the Parol Fest and that’s literally down the street, so a lot of my work is just down Mission Street [Laughs] - which is great.
Balay Kreative’s mission is to accelerate the growth of Filipinx artistic expression in SOMA. How do you embody your Filipinx identity in your art?
I get this question a lot, and it is something I ask myself continuously, and a conversation I have with my partner. It’s funny because she’s always reminding me, “Your art is Filipino, simply because you are Filipino”. I’m always looking for cues of identity and what that really means - like I think we tend to all look at pattern and print as something that gravitates to us because it’s a visual communication of some sort. I think our ancestors knew this, so they wove meaning into them…and not just using those elements, but using your influences like what helped you grow up.
I think we all had spoon and fork, but it was more than just the big spoon and big fork, or the tinikling dancers - there was meaning behind that I think even though it wasn’t literal, it is in a lot of ways. Because you know food was always something that was welcoming, so like when I eat warm food that’s in my identity, so I like eating with people and sharing that across. The tinikling dancer, as a woven sculpture, was always something I gravitated to that reminds me to dance, and reminds me to move. So [Filipinx identity] is in me but it’s not literally translated a lot of the time.
“I’m always looking for cues of identity and what that really means - like I think we tend to all look at pattern and print as something that gravitates to us because it’s a visual communication of some sort. I think our ancestors knew this, so they wove meaning into them.”
Cir working on the Kapwa Gardens Bus renovations.
What are you working on right now?
I am currently working on the Kapwa Gardens bus. So I’m helping build the furniture that’s going in there. I actually just finished the woodcuts for that yesterday. So yeah, doing the install this coming week and hopefully that’s done soon.
What would be your dream project?
[Smiles] Oh geez, this is a great question because there’s so many dream projects. As a creative, you want to get your hands into so many things and I think this weird combination of something that embodies movement, fabric in some way. Working with other creatives to make that sort of thing happen.
There’s also this ancestral thing that keeps knocking at my door, like pre-Colonial Philippines. There’s a root in that that wants to come out, so I’m trying to explore what that means right now.
What advice would you give your younger self, or to any emerging Filipinx creatives?
Advice I would give to my younger self or the generation that’s coming…just keep moving, just keep pursuing your things, listen to your intuitions a lot of the time because that’s something that we’re often not told to listen to, or you just second guess yourself. But if you feel something, do it, focus on that.
Inspired by Ciriaco Sayoc and his work? Apply to our Kreative Growth grant!
If chosen as a grantee, you will receive $3,000 - $6,000 to create and present new works of art & culture in SOMA Pilipinas. You will also receive free artist studio space, free tuition in our Kreative Growth Masterclass series, and 1:1 mentoring with industry professionals in your field of practice.
Deadline to apply is May 30, 2022 by 11:59PM PST.
Be sure to follow @balaykreative and subscribe to our newsletter to hear about Ciriaco’s future artwork and other artist opportunities/events! Stay tuned of upcoming profiles of our other artists in residence in Balay Kreative!