Back in the fall of 2018 as I planned to start creating pieces for my portfolio, I created a few rough illustrations and backgrounds of Manila out of the spur of nostalgia, not knowing it would be something I would come back to not much later on. In the spring of 2019, an incredible teacher, Ed Li, gave an assignment to create a story and sketch scenes based on musical pieces by Ray Chen, inspired by Ray Chen’s In the Mind Of video series. The piece I was drawn to is titled “Tambourin Chinois”, which had the feel of a fast-paced city scene. This inspired me to sketch Chinatown and eventually Manila. As I explored the concept of the story I wanted to tell, I searched for images of Manila and landed upon a few that showed the poverty of the city. I was moved by these images as I remembered my own family’s journey and the hardships we have seen. I was reminded of the infamous Smokey Mountains and the squatters I’ve seen and heard of throughout my childhood. I was reminded of the children I babysit and their purity to find treasure and to be treasured by others.

This story is my take on the idea that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, depending on the eye of the beholder- in this case, through the eyes of a child. In contemporary society, the children and the elders are the least celebrated and sometimes even looked down upon. But those that are the least sometimes have stories and lessons that are the greatest because when you have tasted hardship, poverty, and being unseen, you learn how to endure, give generously, and see those who are unseen.

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If you know me, I am not very much into the nationalistic pride of being a Filipino. My family knows that from a young age, I was not proud to be a part of the culture I was born into and I disdained groups that represented Filipino pride. Growing up as a Filipino immigrant in America, I disconnected myself from the culture that I was born into. I pushed away and disassociated myself from everything that was “Filipino” and filipino pride, maybe because of the detachment from the trauma of hardships of the country I had moved away from. Over the last few years, I have been learning to heal and celebrate the beauty and brokenness of my culture, embracing that being a part of this culture helps me embrace who I am completely- not something to be ashamed of but also not something to lord around. Just a fact to embrace & celebrate & learn from. So this project really is a stem of reconciliation of my heart to my culture.

What I’ve discovered is that there is great resilience within the people of the Philippines, especially those in poverty. Poverty does not make them withhold what they have, but instead opens their hands wider to give to others. What I remember of the Filipino culture and community and what it continues to teach me is that poverty makes a great host.

These are the questions I’ve asked as I work on this project: Who do we value? Who do we see? Who do we value as worth seeing? Poverty is not all that it seems. Sometimes in the most unfavorable circumstances, there is great beauty. Even in poverty, there is a glimmer of joy, a glimmer of hope to be found.

And it’s not just in Manila, but it’s all over different places in the Philippines. And it’s not just in the Philippines, but in Mozambique, in India, in Mexico. Because where there is poverty, there is a good host with an extraordinary heart- giving much more than what they have or receive.

This is a story of poverty, of being seen by those who are unseen, and a celebration of the generous hearts of Filipinos even in the face of hardship. This is a story of reconciliation to my childhood and my roots as a Filipino. This is a story of my heart finding its way back home.

This project is more than just a portfolio piece. For me, it has been a journey to my own heart and a catalyst of growth in me. My dream is that some time soon, I can create more pieces for this project, enough to publish an art book. I’d want to launch a Kickstarter or Indiegogo that will help fund the art book and other accessories while also partnering with a few non profit organizations. Some organizations I have in mind are Poverty Encounter by Children’s Hunger Fund in LA, Express Eden in Mozambique, and Kalayaan Ministries in Manila. I hope to launch this crowd funding page to give people the opportunity to partner with me to give to these organizations, while receiving artwork that can possibly be a catalyst for thought and conversation. I’m excited and eager to continue to work on this project and I hope that it can be a vehicle of awareness for you, to see your neighbor as worth seeing. Thank you so much for reading through the backstory of this project. I appreciate your support.

Love always,
Chammy

P.S. Thank you to Ed for your mentoring presence, to Ben for always generously supporting me as I pursue this career, to Becky for believing in and pushing me to do this project from its conception, to Lydia, Rachel, and Sally and countless other friends for your encouragements and friendship, to my brother for believing in me before I even believed in myself, to my sister for your steadfast love, and to my parents who endured through poverty and continue to find treasure and joy in sorrow and hardship.

Dedicated to my grandma, Mommy Lola, for all the ways she’s loved, given to, and seen her family and the beauty of life.