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.

Not All Art Needs to Be Seen to Be Remembered

In the art world, we often measure success by what’s visible — the gallery show, the museum exhibit, the press release. These milestones matter. They bring attention and create conversation.

But there’s another kind of presence.

A quieter one.

One that doesn’t require the spotlight to hold meaning.

| Sometimes the most enduring recognition comes not from display, but from preservation.

A Place in the Archive — Not Just Locally, But Globally

My digital art books, rooted in Decolonial Minimalism, have been accepted into national and global cultural archives.

These works are not part of any current exhibition.

They are not framed on a wall.

But they’ve been chosen to be kept, studied, and remembered — alongside records of cultural, historical, and artistic significance.

This quiet inclusion means more than I can express.

Beyond the Moment

Exhibitions are temporary. Archives are generational.

To be part of an archive — whether in the Philippines or abroad — is to contribute to a larger, long-term dialogue about identity, creativity, and history.

| It means someone, somewhere, in the future might discover these works and ask, “What was this artist trying to say about being Filipino? About memory? About selfhood in the digital age?”

That possibility is more than enough.

Choosing a Different Kind of Presence

I’ve never been drawn to visibility for its own sake.

I create out of a need to explore ancestry, silence, and cultural echoes — not to impress or perform.

That path has led me not to exhibition halls, but to the pages of archives, where work is measured not by trends but by its capacity to endure and speak softly across time.

With Deep Gratitude

I’m grateful that my work has found a home in collections that think beyond today — in spaces where researchers, artists, and cultural workers may one day encounter it.

| Not as a spectacle, but as a source.

| Not as decoration, but as documentation.

This is not a rejection of the gallery. It’s just a reminder:

There are many ways to contribute to cultural memory.

Final Thought

Some artists aim to be seen by the world.

Others hope to be found by the future.

I’m not building a brand — I’m building a record.

And if these books — this body of work — can quietly help someone rethink what it means to be Filipino, decolonial, digital, or human…

That’s all I ever hoped for.

– IJWBAA

Digital Artist | Painter | Author

Founder of Decolonial Minimalism

SO, WHAT'S NEXT?

Hi, I'm Pao aka IJWBAA. I'm a digital artist, painter, and a book author from the Philippines. If you enjoyed reading this you might like to read also:

• The Digital Artist Digest

• Poems by IJWBAA

• Quotes from a Wannabe Artist

• Notes to Self

I would greatly appreciate if you could kindly share this to people whom you know will be interested to read this through social media, email, text, or message.

Thank you.