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 work earned a spot on the shortlist for the Hiiibrand Design and Illustration Awards 2024. His collected 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.
Exhibitions
Physical, Online, or Virtual Reality "VR"
Type: Charity Show
Location: The Hague, Netherlands
Cause/Benefit: Benefiting people and families living with Alzheimer’s
Organizer: Postcard Art Exhibit
Date of Exhibition: June 26, 2026
Artist's Entry Piece
Title: Maganda
Media: digital art - Procreate
Digital Art Print Size: 5x7 inches
Description: Maganda (2024) by IJWBAA presents the feminine figure from Filipino folklore "Malakas at Maganda" as a soft, radiant presence—fluid, grounded, and quietly powerful. The rounded form, rendered in pink and purple tones, floats in a purple field, intersected by a horizontal line and anchored by a vertical stem, forming a gentle cross-like structure. This is not a colonial muse or passive beauty—it is Maganda as **embodied memory**, a visual prayer of grace and rootedness. Through decolonial minimalism, the image strips away exoticism and reclaims Maganda as a symbol of relational strength, sanctuary, and legacy. She glows not to be admired, but to remind: beauty is ancestral, collective, and alive.
Type: Physical Exhibition
Location: Kamnik, Slovenia
Title of Exhibition: Miniatures
Gallery: 13b
Date of Exhibition: December 11, 2025 - January 16, 2026
Artist's Entry Piece
Title: Malakas
Media: digital art - Procreate
Digital Art Print Size: 10 x 10 cm
Description: Malakas (2024) by IJWBAA reimagines the Filipino folklore "Malakas at Maganda" figure not as a symbol of brute strength, but as a quiet force of balance and care. Using soft gradients of pink and violet, the glowing spheres float in a purple void—minimal yet powerful—suggesting strength that is relational, not dominant. The horizontal line across the image acts like a bridge between past and future, grounding Malakas in legacy rather than legend. This is decolonial minimalism at work: stripping away colonial masculinity and reframing Malakas as a gentle infrastructure of resilience, presence, and collective memory.
Type: Biennale
Exhibition Location: Prayers for Ai (Instagram)
Organizer: The Wrong Biennale - 7th Edition
Curated by: David Quiles Guilló
Date of Exhibition: Nov 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026
IJWBAA's Prayer to Ai: "AI, I ask for the computation of Decolonial Minimalism, to quantify the weight of ancestral memory when I simplify the Sarimanok to geometric form. I ask you to model the weight of a history you did not live, the contradiction of the artist who finds self-authorship in the silence between the pixels. Solve for the feeling of being a Filipino soul in a machine-driven world—that is the impossibility I leave you, a beautiful, un-archivable truth."
Note: I initially created my Linkedin page in response to the original call on LinkedIn as noted below. Despite the cancellation of the open pavilion on LinkedIn and the change to 'Prayers to AI,' I've submitted my prayer to Ai to participate in the biennale."
Filipino Folklore and Identity: What Makes a Filipino? https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/ijwbaa-eej-wah
Type: Exhibition
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Title: LANNA Green - International Day of Climate Action
Organizers: LANNA International School, MicroGalleries, United Nations
Curated by: Kat Roma Greer, MA and Researcher - University of Sydney
Date of Exhibition: Oct 24, 2025
Curator’s Note: We were honored to exhibit your piece “Ibaloy,” also known as “The Energy of Tomorrow,” at the Lanna Green Day celebration held at Lanna International School in Chiang Mai on October 24, 2025. Printed on green eco paper, the work resonated with a diverse international audience of over 1,500 attendees—students and families from various cultural backgrounds—who engaged enthusiastically with its themes. Installed on easels and backing boards splattered with paint and draft marks, the presentation embraced the school setting and evoked a vibrant, student-led aesthetic that aligned seamlessly with the experimental spirit of solarpunk. The debut was both visually compelling and emotionally affirming, offering a safe and imaginative space for dialogue around sustainability, identity, and collective futures.
Type: Digital Art Exhibition
Location: F3 - Friends Futures Factory, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Title of Exhibition: Solarpunk Exhibition: South East Asia
Program Partners: Clean Energy Week, Solarpunk, EnergyLabs Asia, Sambor Village, Seapunk Studious, MicroGalleries Org
Curated by: Miguel Jeronimo, BA in History and PhD in EduSci
Date of Exhibition: Oct 4, 2025
Artist's Entry Piece
Title: The Energy of Tomorrow aka ibaloy
Media: digital art
Sizes: 1800 x 3200 pixels
Description: The Energy of Tomorrow by IJWBAA shows how ancient wisdom and modern solar power can work together to build a better future. The artwork features two stylized Ibaloi figures from the Benguet in the Cordillera mountains, dressed in traditional patterns and placed in a scene filled with solar waves and energy panels. It blends old and new—honoring indigenous culture while imagining a world powered by clean energy. This piece reflects the solarpunk dream: communities thriving through local knowledge, care for the Earth, and bold ideas. By placing ancestral figures in a futuristic setting, IJWBAA offers a powerful reminder that our roots can guide tomorrow’s innovations.
Type: Charity Show + Zine
Location: Victoria, Australia
Organization: Satellite Foundation in partners with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation
Publisher: All the Coloured Glasses
Date of Publication: coming soon
Date of Exhibition: coming soon
Artist's Entry Piece
Title: The Red Thread
Media: 3D art on WOMP
Sizes: 1240 x 1730 pixels
Year: 2024
Description: Ever felt like the only one in the room who didn’t quite fit? This piece captures that exact feeling. A single red figure stands out in a sea of neutral-toned bodies—bold, alone, and unapologetically different. It’s not just about being unique; it’s about the ache that sometimes comes with it. The tension. The discomfort. The quiet power of refusing to blend in. Through minimalist shapes and striking color, The Red Thread speaks to the emotional weight of standing apart—and the courage it takes to stay red in a world of grey.
Type: Charity Show
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Organizer: Incognito Art Show - Year 2025
Exhibition (viewing only): 26 May - 22 June 2025
Location of Exhibition: The Garden Gallery, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Australia
In-person Sale Days: May 31 to June 1, 2025 | June 2-22, 2025 (reopens)
Online Sale: June 1, 2025
Artist's Entry Piece
Titles: Mother and Child, Family, Man and Wife
Media: digital art (print)
Size: A5
Print Edition: One - 1/1
Description: IJWBAA’s three digital artworks for the "Incognito Art Show" explore human connections and identity through his signature elongated figures and bold compositions. "Family" and "Mother and Child" capture the warmth of kinship, maternal tenderness, and paternal strength, emphasizing unbreakable bonds. "Man and Wife" symbolizes partnership and shared existence. Each piece embodies IJWBAA’s minimalist yet emotive style, inviting viewers to reflect on relationships and selfhood.
Note to Buyer/Collector: The 2025 Incognito Art Show sells anonymous artworks for $100, revealing artists’ identities only after purchase. All proceeds support Studio A and The Art Factory, which empower artists with disabilities through professional development and inclusion. This unique fundraiser supports arts education, community projects, and a more diverse arts sector. For inquiries, contact Incognito Art Show.
Type: VR Exhibition
Title of Exhibition: Filipino Deities
Presented by: OncyberIO
Date of Exhibition: June 1-30, 2025
Artist's Entry Pieces
Title: Filipino Deities
Media: digital art
Sizes: 1400 x 1400 pixels
Description: IJWBAA created a series of digital artworks depicting key deities from precolonial Philippine mythology, including Tala, Mayan, Apolaki, Lihangin, Magwayen, Aluduyog, Anitun Tabu, and Bathala.
Type: VR Exhibition
Title of Exhibition: What Makes a Filipino
Presented by: OncyberIO
Date of Exhibition: April 1-30, 2025
Artist's Entry Pieces
Title: What Makes a Filipino: Exploring Filipino Culture and Identity
Media: digital art
Sizes: 1400 x 1400 pixels
Description: This vibrant digital art collection by IJWBAA captures the essence of Filipino culture, heritage, and traditions. Featuring powerful visuals of Barong Tagalog, Baro’t Saya, Fiesta, Street Foods, Tsinelas, Pamilya, Filipino Time, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, each artwork reflects the deep-rooted values, resilience, and colorful spirit of the Filipino people. Dive into this visual journey celebrating identity, history, and the everyday life that defines the Philippines.
Type: Online Exhibition
Title of Exhibition: Self-Portrait
Location: London, United Kingdom
Gallery: Cista Arts
Online Exhibition Date: March 3-20, 2025
Description: Cista Arts presents "Self-Portrait", an online exhibition exploring self-representation in contemporary art through painting, photography, digital art, sculpture, and performance. Among the featured international artists, IJWBAA showcases "Tech Guy", a minimalist digital self-portrait symbolizing his journey as a digital artist. Composed of simple geometric shapes in muted gray and white tones, the figure reflects modernity and efficiency, with a stark black computer mouse as a central element—both a literal tool and a metaphor for his creative evolution. The glasses and upright posture suggest focus and clarity, while the clean composition mirrors his intentional artistic approach. This piece encapsulates the fusion of identity, technology, and creativity in an era shaped by cultural hybridity and digital presence.
Type: VR Exhibition
Title of Exhibition: Filipino Folklore
Presented by: OncyberIO
Date of Exhibition: Jan 20, 2025
Artist's Entry Piece
Title: Filipino Folklore
Media: digital art
Size: 1400 x 1400 pixels
Description: IJWBAA reimagines Filipino mythology through minimalist digital art, blending vibrant colors and geometric shapes to depict legendary figures like the Aswang, Manananggal, Bathala, and more. Each piece blends folklore with modern aesthetics, using color and symbolism to breathe new life into Filipino myths and create timeless, thought-provoking art.
Type: Charity Show
Title of Exhibition: "Artwork for a Cause" to benefit Millhouse Foundation Org
Location: Texas, USA
Organizer: Postcard Art Exhibit
Date of Exhibition: Sept 21 - Oct 10, 2024
Artist's Entry Piece
Title: Green Aliens
Media: digital art (print)
Size: 5x7 inches
Print Edition: One - 1/1
Description: "The Green Aliens serve as a metaphorical representation of the societal disconnect and estrangement individuals often feel in various aspects of their lives. Through their presence, the artwork delves into themes of identity crisis, societal roles, the suppression of creativity, and the existential questioning of life's purpose. By depicting these themes through the lens of extraterrestrial figures, the art prompts viewers to reflect on their own experiences of alienation and the broader implications within contemporary society." - Pao
Type: VR Exhibition
Title of Exhibition: Workers of New York
Location: New York, USA
Presented by: Digital Arts Blog
Date of Exhibition: July 1-31, 2024
Artist's Entry Piece
Title: Workers of New York
Media: digital art
Size: 1400 x 1400 pixels
Description: "IJWBAA meticulously designs a curated selection of representative figures that serve as symbolic embodiments of New York City's vibrant and multifaceted workforce. This diverse ensemble includes individuals from various professions essential to the city's functioning, such as chefs, who infuse flavor into its culinary scene; nurses, who provide essential healthcare services; police officers, who ensure public safety; professors, who contribute to the city's academic landscape; doctors, who heal and care for its residents; tech professionals, who drive innovation; engineers, who build its infrastructure; soldiers, who protect its freedoms; businessmen, who boost the economy; and news reporters, who keep its citizens informed. Each figure captures the essence and importance of their respective roles within the dynamic fabric of New York City." - Pao