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.
Publication & Featured On
Type: Publication (art magazine) Interview
Location: Manila, Philippines
Issue No 053 - IJWBAA: The Voice of Memory and Care in Decolonial Minimalism
Publisher: Philippine Art Zine FB, IG, and read full interview
Date Published: Oct 14, 2025
Artist's Featured Piece
Title: ibaloy and Manananggal
Type: Digital Art
Size: 1400 x 1400 pixels
Year: 2025
Description: These artworks are the starting point of Decolonial Minimalism - a movement I created to give minimalism a deeper, more culturally rooted meaning. Instead of stripping things down just for style, each piece quietly speaks of identity, resistance, and pride. The works I’ve shared - Manananggal and ibaloy - are simple but powerful. They carry stories, traditions, and quiet strength, using less to say more.
Type: Publication (art magazine)
Location: Berlin, Germany
Publisher: D.Wonder Magazine (print and digital)
Date Published: September 29, 2025
Artist's Featured Piece
Title: Decolonial Minimalism: The First Pieces
Type: Digital Art
Size: 2550 x 3300 pixels
Year: 2025
Description: These artworks are the starting point of Decolonial Minimalism - a movement I created to give minimalism a deeper, more culturally rooted meaning. Instead of stripping things down just for style, each piece quietly speaks of identity, resistance, and pride. The works I’ve shared - Manananggal, Anitun Tabu, Barong Tagalog and Baro’t Saya, Alamat ng Sampaguita, and Fiesta - are simple but powerful. They carry stories, traditions, and quiet strength, using less to say more.
Type: Publication (art magazine)
Location: Milan, Italy
Publisher: Figgi Magazine Fantasy & AI September Vol 1793 (print and digital)
Date Published: September 22, 2025
Artist's Featured Piece
Title: Filipino Deities
Type: Digital Art
Size: 2550 x 3300 pixels
Year: 2025
Description: In IJWBAA’s Decolonial Minimalism series, the Filipino deities—Bathala, Lihangin, Magwayen, Mayan, and Tala- are reimagined as minimalist embodiments of ancestral power, cosmic rhythm, and cultural resistance. Bathala anchors creation and sky; Lihangin channel wind and rain’s volatility; Tala and Mayan illuminate celestial guidance; and Magwayen bridges life and death. Each figure is rendered not as mythic relic but as living archive, haunting Western aesthetics with indigenous sovereignty.
Type: Publication (art magazine)
Location: New York, USA
Publisher: Artells Magazine - Sense.View.Style July (Vol 3412)
Date Published: July 28, 2025
Artist's Featured Piece
Titles: Manananggal, Apolaki, Anitun Tabu, Sarimanok, and Alamat ng Sampaguita
Type: Digital Art
Size: varies
Year: 2025
Description: These artworks by IJWBAA—Manananggal, Apolaki, Anitun Tabu, Sarimanok, and Alamat ng Sampaguita—bring old Filipino stories and legends to life using bold colors and simple shapes. Manananggal, with her haunting split-body form and nocturnal wings, channels the eerie allure of Visayan folklore, turning fear into fascination. Apolaki and Anitun Tabu show powerful forces like the sun and storms. Sarimanok is a magical bird full of color and meaning, while Alamat ng Sampaguita tells a love story through soft flowers and gentle sadness. Together, they turn Filipino myths into modern art that’s easy to feel, even if you don’t know the full story.
Type: Publication (Zine + Charity Show)
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: Publication (Online Press Release)
Location: Wyoming, USA
Publisher: IssueWire
Date Published: July 6, 2025
PR Note: I Just Wanna Be an Artist: Book 3 – A Manifesto in Motion