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.

Aluduyog

Aluduyog

Decolonial Minimalism Founding Work - Filipino Deities

Size: 1400 x 1400 pixels

Medium: Digital Art

Artist: IJWBAA

Year: 2025

Description:

Aluduyog artwork offers a minimalist interpretation of the Tagalog god of rain, capturing his essence through fluid abstraction. The central figure, framed by concentric circles, symbolizes Aluduyog’s expansive reach—his influence spreading across landscapes, sustaining life and shaping the rhythms of nature. Below, cascading droplets flow from a wavy horizon, embodying the nourishing force of rain and its cyclical movement. This visual approach moves beyond colonial artistic conventions, reclaiming indigenous Filipino storytelling through contemporary expression.

In pre-colonial Philippine mythology, Aluduyog governed the rainfall, ensuring balance in agriculture, waterways, and the spiritual connection between sky and earth. Rain was more than sustenance—it was an ancestral gift, a force of renewal, and a guide for life’s transitions. Indigenous societies revered its seasonal rhythms, understanding the delicate equilibrium that maintained prosperity. Over time, colonial narratives reshaped native cosmologies, detaching them from their original meanings and presenting them through an external lens.

Through refined simplicity, Aluduyog’s visual language revives ancestral wisdom, resisting imposed distortions and restoring his presence in Filipino identity. The artwork shifts the focus from literal depiction to conceptual interpretation, inviting viewers to reflect on the unseen forces that sustain existence. As an assertion of artistic sovereignty, this piece ensures that indigenous perspectives on rain and divinity remain relevant in contemporary spaces while staying rooted in their origins.

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Media:

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.

Filipino Deities VR Exhibit, OncyberIO, June 1-31, 2025. https://oncyber.io/filipino-deities.