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.

Unpainted Memory

a poem by IJWBAA | June 3, 2025

This digital breath, once meant to grace a wall,

For one who vanished when the canvas called,

Was born from loss—a ghost too sharp, too small,

Its paintless fate by silence was forestalled.


You spoke, and words like arrows pierced the air—

No brush could blur the weight of what was said.

Though joy once danced between us unaware,

Now echoes hum where vibrant tones have bled.


I steer from scenes where your gaze might remain,

Avoiding halls where art and wounds collide.

You’re unblocked, yes—but only in your lane,

For I still keep you walled off deep inside.


Forgiven, yes. Forgotten? Never quite.

This work stays digital—sealed in its light.

A Little Note: The poem "Unpainted Memory" delves into the emotional journey of loss and the complexities of moving on from a past relationship or experience. It explores themes of absence, with the "digital breath" representing someone lost before the artwork could be completed, and the unfinished memory symbolized by "paintless fate" that remains silent due to the person's absence. The impact of words exchanged between the two is highlighted, with their sharpness compared to arrows, leaving an impression that no artistic medium can fully capture. The joy that once existed between them has faded, leaving only echoes, as "vibrant tones have bled." The speaker avoids revisiting places that evoke painful memories, while emotionally distancing himself from the person yet still holding the memory "walled off deep inside." The final lines emphasize the tension between forgiveness and the inability to forget, with the memory preserved digitally, forever fixed in light, symbolizing how the past remains, even when it can't be fully let go of. Ultimately, the poem reflects on the struggle of moving on from loss and how memories, though forgiven, are never entirely forgotten.

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.