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.

Lihangin

Lihangin

Decolonial Minimalism Founding Work - Filipino Deities

Size: 1400 x 1400 pixels

Medium: Digital Art

Artist: IJWBAA

Year: 2025

Description:

Lihangin artwork presents a minimalist interpretation of the Tagalog god of wind, distilling his essence into abstract movement and form. The fluid curves and directional lines evoke the invisible force of air, capturing its dynamic presence and cyclical flow. The central figure, anchored by a bold circular form, symbolizes Lihangin’s guiding power, while the sweeping curves suggest motion, transformation, and unseen influence. This approach moves beyond colonial artistic conventions, reclaiming indigenous Filipino storytelling through contemporary visual language.

In pre-colonial Philippine mythology, Lihangin governed the winds, shaping landscapes, seasons, and destinies. Indigenous societies understood air as both a nurturing force and a powerful agent of change, affecting travel, agriculture, and spiritual rites. The wind carried messages from ancestors and deities, intertwining the elements of earth and sky in a harmonious balance. Over time, colonial narratives sought to diminish such beliefs, distancing them from their original cosmological significance.

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

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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.

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