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 Sampaguita artwork

Alamat ng Sampaguita

Decolonial Minimalism Founding Work - Filipino Legends

Size: 1400 x 1400 pixels

Medium: Digital Art

Artist: IJWBAA

Year: 2025

Description:

This artwork reimagines the Alamat ng Sampaguita through a constellation of white blossoms and layered green foliage, evoking both the purity of first love and the sorrow of unfulfilled promises. The soft repetition of five-petaled flowers suggests whispered farewells, while the golden centers hint at the lingering warmth of memory. The composition blooms with quiet intensity—an elegy in petals.

In Filipino folklore, the Alamat ng Sampaguita tells of Liwayway and Tanggol, two lovers separated by fate and miscommunication. When Tanggol fails to return as promised, Liwayway’s heartbreak consumes her. Her final words—“Sumpa kita”—become a curse and a memory, blooming into a fragrant flower on her grave. Thus, the sampaguita was born: a symbol of devotion, sorrow, and the enduring power of love.

This abstract interpretation resists literal depiction, instead channeling the emotional resonance of the tale. Through minimalist repetition and organic symmetry, the artwork invites viewers to reflect on how grief can give rise to beauty, and how stories—like flowers—carry the scent of what once was. It reclaims the legend from moralistic framing and restores it as a meditation on longing, transformation, and the sacredness of memory.

Featured On

Website:

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Media:

Artells Magazine New York USA - Sense.View.Style July (Vol 3412), July 24 2025, https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/3128869

The Global Filipino Magazine UAE - Filipino Artist IJWBAA Redefines Minimalism with a Decolonial Lens, May 27, 2025. https://theglobalfilipinomagazine.com/filipino-artist-ijwbaa-redefines-minimalism-with-a-decolonial-lens

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.