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 Niyog artwork

Alamat ng Niyog

Decolonial Minimalism Founding Work - Filipino Legends

Size: 1400 x 1400 pixels

Medium: Digital Art

Artist: IJWBAA

Year: 2025

Description:

“Niyog” artwork reimagines the mythic origins of the coconut tree through a layered abstraction of form and memory. Concentric green circles ripple outward like echoes of ancestral stories, evoking the tree’s enduring presence across generations. The overlapping shapes suggest both the fruit’s iconic husk and the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth. In the quiet geometry of the piece, the coconut becomes more than a fruit—it becomes a vessel of transformation.

Rooted in pre-colonial lore, the Alamat ng Niyog tells of divine friendship, sacrifice, and the birth of a tree that would nourish the first humans. Whether emerging from the ashes of a serpent god or the grave of a beloved mother, the coconut tree symbolizes continuity between the spiritual and earthly realms. Its trunk, fruit, and fronds mirror the forms of gods and ancestors, offering sustenance and shelter as a sacred inheritance. These myths, once passed through oral tradition, carried the cosmological weight of creation and kinship.

By embracing minimalist abstraction, the artwork resists literal retellings and instead channels the essence of the legend. It invites viewers to contemplate the unseen roots of culture—how stories shape landscapes, and how trees can hold memory. In doing so, it reclaims indigenous narratives from colonial erasure, asserting that Filipino identity is not only remembered but actively reimagined.

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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.