NAMUMULAKLAK is a Filipinx group visual art exhibition that builds on the evolving exploration of Filipinx identity in Canada. Following the exhibitions KATAUHAN (Personality, 2023) and SEREMONYA (Ceremony, 2024), which centered on self-definition and cultural practice, NAMUMULAKLAK asks: What is blooming from this foundation within our diaspora? The exhibition invites established and emerging artists to reflect on what is emerging in their personal and collective experiences— creatively, spiritually, and politically—in the context of diasporic life.

Thank you Manitoba Arts Council for the generous support. 

BIOGRAPHIES 

Antoinette Baquiran holds a Master’s in Interior Design, using cultural identity to inform spatial design. Her community-based work bridges art and design, contributing to the local Filipino arts & design scene taking part in Mabuhay District Inc, Ace Art Inc. The Forks Design Panel, and KA design collective through the past several years. Through her roles, she advocates for inclusive design and representation of the Filipinx community in creative spaces.

Charles Romero Venzon holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) and is an award-winning photographer and interdisciplinary artist. His work explores themes of (im)migration, assimilation, cultural loss, and cultural repatriation within the Filipino diaspora & decolonization. His recent solo exhibition, Cardially yours, at Galérie Buhler Gallery, combined photography and illustration to honour caregivers at St. Boniface Hospital and paid tribute to his father, Claro, a cardiac patient who lived 21 years post-surgery. In 2024, Charles received support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Manitoba Arts Council for Federal Filipina Pioneers, a series celebrating Winnipeg’s early Filipinx garment workers.

Charles Romero Venzon and Antoinette Baquiran (ABCV)—shared a common vision: to organize a juried gallery exhibition showcasing local Filipinx art and artists. This vision drew inspiration from the impactful 1997 Winnipeg-located Filipinx art exhibition "Memories of Overdevelopment," which delved into the narrative of the Philippine Diaspora. Acknowledging the enduring impact of this exhibition of the Filipinx art community, Antoinette and Charles understood the importance of evolving contemporary Filipinx diaspora narratives through artistic expression. It is evident that the Winnipeg-Filipinx community is in a continual state of growth, thereby highlighting the pressing need to share the myriad stories through art, emanating from this vibrant community.

​Ally Gonzalo is a queer, Filipinx settler in Treaty 1 Territory, residing here since 2016. A graduate of History and Political Science from the University of the Philippines and valedictorian of PrairieView School of Photography, Ally’s practice explores queer Filipinx history and diaspora through portraiture and documentary photography. ​Their work is built on vulnerability and trust. By acknowledging the inherent power dynamics between photographer and subject, Ally utilizes trust exercises to create a space where clients can let their guards down, allowing for a genuinely tailored and honest connection.

​A hallmark of their recent work is the public art installation Mailiw (Pangasinan for "homesick"), commissioned by Culture Days Manitoba for Nuit Blanche Winnipeg 2023. A 3-dimensional representation of the Philippine flag, the piece serves as a tribute to immigrants bound by the financial and systemic constraints that prevent their return home. ​With over a decade of freelance experience, Ally has collaborated with a diverse range of organizations including Greenpeace Philippines, CBC Arts, Pride Winnipeg, The Forks Trading Company, Winnipeg Folk Festival, and Synonym Art Consultation. ​To see more of Ally’s work, follow them on Instagram @jhapes.

Sharyn Gutierrez is a Filipino artist based in Treaty 1 Territory in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is an interdisciplinary artist who studies the relationship between painting and photography through digital manipulations and media translations, often intersecting with video, performance, design and textiles. She approaches her work with a feminine and material-based curiosity, addressing themes of girlhood, immigration, diasporic experiences, consumer materialism and personal history. Sharyn holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons.) from the University of Manitoba School of Art.

Amber Ramos is an emerging curator and practicing artist based in Toronto. Currently studying Art History and Visual Studies at the University of Toronto, Ramos’ interdisciplinary work bridges curatorial and archival studies with artistic practice. As a Filipinx-Canadian immigrant, Ramos’ work critically engages with themes of diaspora and generational memory. As presented in her past works such as, Weaving Transparencies (2025) and Lumang Larawan from Seremonya (2024), Ramos explores the tensions between connection and disconnection with one’s cultural heritage through family albums. As seen in her curatorial project, In/Between: A Collective Archive of Secondary Experience (2026), Ramos’ interests with personal archives and family photo collections fosters a broader exploration into how generational memories and histories simultaneously distance and shape identities.

Born in the Philippines, Paul Robles is a Canadian artist based in Winnipeg, Canada, Treaty One.
Recognized for his intricate cut paper works, Robles combines the delicacy associated with traditional hand work that addresses psychological and emotional states ranging from animist familiars, folklore, spirits, trauma, and grief. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (Gold Medal) from University of Manitoba School of Art and Bachelor of Arts degree (Sociology) from The University of Winnipeg. Robles has exhibited widely in Canada, USA, and France. He has participated in Plug In ICA’s Summer Institute Residence Program, and Papier Art Fair, Montreal. His work was recently presented in an exhibition, Tracing Paths at C2-Centre for Craft (2019, Winnipeg),  an exhibition at the Regina Art Gallery (Regina, 2021); produced an outdoor installation for Nuit Blanche (in Winnipeg & Waterloo, ON) and commissioned  mural for the Wall-to-Wall Festival in 2021. In 2024, Robles was artist in residence at aabijijiwan New Media Lab -University Of Winnipeg, and honored with the Provincial King Charles 3rd - Gold medal by the Premier of Manitoba, Wab Kinew.

Leslie is a Filipino moving image artist, educator, and arts administrator. She creates works that explore themes of loss, change and the passage of time. Using animation, live-action, collage and material exploration, Supnet's process is guided by lyricism and intuition She has taught extensively in the community as a facilitator, mentor and academic instructor at OCAD U, with service on artist-run Boards in Winnipeg and Toronto. Leslie has programmed artist-driven screenings at the Winnipeg Cinematheque, Pacific Cinematheque, Pleasure Dome, Plastic Paper: Winnipeg’s Festival of Animated, Illustrated and Puppet Film and Regional Support Network. Leslie’s short films have screened at TIFF, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Image Forum Festival in Japan, Flaherty NYC and Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen amongst many others. She holds an MFA in Film Production Experimental Stream from York University and is currently the Executive Director at the Winnipeg Film Group.

Nereo Zorro (S-C-E-N-E-R-E-O), also known as Scenereo, is a Canadian-Filipino multidisciplinary artist based in Winnipeg. Working across muralism, painting, poetry, and music, his practice explores identity, perception, and cultural memory through layered visual and sonic storytelling. His work reflects themes of resilience, belonging, and growth, creating immersive experiences that invite viewers to look beyond the surface and connect with deeper, unfolding narratives.

Randy Ortiz (b. 1982, Manitoba) is a multi-disciplinary, self-taught artist who has dedicated over 12 years to his craft. His work has been shown in several galleries including recent exhibitions for Arcadia Gallery in New York, Abend Gallery in Colorado, and Copro Gallery in California. Along with his fine art career, he has also done commercial works for clients such as A24, Neon, and Netflix. Randy mainly utilizes traditional art mediums such as graphite, charcoal, and oil paint. By using these techniques, he explores themes of identity and fatalism/determinism in hopes of connecting with his audience through emotional familiarity. Additionally, Randy has embraced expressions in the realm of photography, utilizing photographic composites to create surrealist works about isolation and detachment of one's self.

Video still:  daydream, dir. Roan Barrion, 1995