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.

aswang

Aswang

Decolonial Minimalism Founding Work - Filipino Folklore

Size: 1400 x 1400 pixels

Medium: Digital Art

Artist: IJWBAA

Year: 2025

Description:

IJWBAA’s Aswang artwork presents a striking interpretation of decolonial minimalism, breaking away from colonial artistic influences to highlight indigenous Filipino storytelling. Through geometric abstraction, the piece reimagines the Aswang’s shape-shifting nature, capturing its eerie presence with simplified yet intentional forms. This approach distances itself from Western horror aesthetics, focusing instead on the creature’s deep cultural roots in Philippine folklore.

Long before Spanish colonization, the Aswang was woven into pre-colonial animistic traditions, representing the unseen forces that shaped daily life. As a creature capable of disguise and transformation, it symbolized themes of duality, power, and survival—concepts central to indigenous Filipino cosmology. However, colonial rule sought to demonize and distort such entities, branding them as evil to suppress native beliefs.

By reducing the Aswang to abstract, minimalist shapes, IJWBAA’s work challenges these colonial distortions, reclaiming the creature’s identity within Filipino heritage. The restrained composition shifts the focus from fear to cultural reflection, demonstrating that tradition can adapt without losing its essence. This piece not only revives indigenous narratives but also serves as a visual statement on artistic sovereignty, ensuring that folklore remains relevant in contemporary spaces while staying true to its origins.

Featured On

Website:

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Social Media:

Filipino Mythology, Art Future Club Hong Kong, Instagram, Jan 25, 2025. https://www.instagram.com/p/DFOxgVmsNYq.

Publications:

Collect Artwork Org - Men Art (Special Edition), Vol 61,? Tbilisi Georgia, March 13, 2025, https://www.collectartwork.org

IJWBAA. Artells Magazine (digital and print) - Fine Art and Visual Arts, Vol 3194, New York USA, May 14, 2025. https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/3073196

IJWBAA. Manananggal. 365 Art+ Magazine, no. 76, 15 Mar. 2025, p. 36, https://ko-fi.com/s/225b940ddd.

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.

What Makes a Filipino? VR Exhibit, OncyberIO, 1-30 Apr. 2025. https://oncyber.io/what-makes-a-filipino.