IJWBAA [eej-wah] is a Filipino digital artist and the first Filipino recognized in the Techspressionism movement. He is a neologist and the originator of Decolonial Minimalism—an art movement that reclaims minimalism through ancestral memory and cultural reawakening. His works, compiled in two volumes of I Just Wannabe an Artist, have been recognized, officially archived, cataloged, and made available in the collections of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, Museo Reina Sofía, the National Museum of the Philippines, Getty Research Institute, and other prominent cultural institutions worldwide.

Alamat ng Mangga artwork

Alamat ng Mangga

Decolonial Minimalism Founding Work - Filipino Legends

Size: 1400 x 1400 pixels

Medium: Digital Art

Artist: IJWBAA

Year: 2025

Description:

Alamat ng Mangga artwork distills the essence of the mango’s mythic origin into a vibrant abstraction, where golden and green forms pulse with ancestral memory. The overlapping shapes suggest ripening fruit, but also spirits in transformation—echoes of a diwata’s blessing, a carabao’s loyalty, and the quiet magic of nature’s design. Against a deep green backdrop, the composition evokes the lushness of tropical life and the sacred bond between land and lore.

In Filipino folklore, the Alamat ng Mangga tells of enchanted seeds, whispered warnings, and the birth of mango trees through divine intervention. Whether through the kindness of Tandang Isko or the mysterious appearance of a diwata, the story reveals how harmony between humans, animals, and nature gives rise to abundance. The mango becomes more than a fruit—it is a living testament to gratitude, transformation, and the unseen forces that shape our world.

This visual interpretation resists literalism, instead embracing the symbolic language of color and form to honor the mango’s cultural roots. It reclaims the narrative from colonial simplifications, restoring the mango tree as a sacred figure in the Filipino imagination. Through abstraction, the artwork invites viewers to reflect on how myths are not just stories of the past, but living frameworks for identity, ecology, and belonging.

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Publication:

IJWBAA. Decolonial Minimalism. Photobook, mm/dd/yyyy, p. #. - coming soon

Exhibitions:

IJWBAA. Filipino Folklore and Identity: What Makes a Filipino? The Wrong Biennale – 7th Edition, Open Pavilion, 1 Nov. 2025 – 31 Mar. 2026, LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/ijwbaa-eej-wah.