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.

tala

Tala

Decolonial Minimalism Founding Work - Filipino Deities

Size: 1400 x 1400 pixels

Medium: Digital Art

Artist: IJWBAA

Year: 2025

Description:

Tala artwork presents a luminous minimalist interpretation of the Tagalog goddess of the Morning and Evening Star, distilling her celestial essence into geometric abstraction. The central figure, with its radiant circular form and ascending star-like shape, symbolizes Tala’s role as a beacon of guidance and cosmic harmony. The gradient background transitions from golden hues to deep orange, evoking the shifting glow of dawn and dusk—moments governed by Tala’s celestial presence. This approach moves beyond colonial artistic conventions, reclaiming indigenous Filipino cosmology through contemporary visual language.

In pre-colonial Philippine mythology, Tala illuminated the night sky, guiding travelers, farmers, and seafarers with her unwavering brilliance. Her divine light connected earthly existence with cosmic rhythms, shaping spiritual beliefs and marking the passage of time. As colonial influences sought to redefine native cosmologies, indigenous perspectives on celestial deities were often diminished or absorbed into foreign narratives.

Through refined abstraction, Tala’s visual representation restores her significance in Filipino heritage, resisting imposed distortions and reaffirming her role in guiding ancestral wisdom. The artwork shifts the focus from ornate depictions to conceptual reflection, inviting viewers to engage with the unseen forces that shape existence. As a statement on artistic sovereignty, this piece ensures that indigenous perspectives on celestial guidance 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.