Lidagat (lee-dah-GAT) is not new to me, as I have already done illustrations bout her mother Magwayen (mahg-wah-YEN), the Visayan goddess of the sea. Lidagat she is also the wife of Kaptan's son, Lihangin (lee-ha-NGIN). But little do people know that not only she ruled the seas but also made sea creatures that are very famous among sea traveller's. According to legends, she made dolphins to guide fishermen while they're sailing. And also known for creating the first shark. Known for its ferocious nature and intimidating appearance, it is said that sharks have originated from Lidagat, as she cursed her mermaid friend and chaperone, Bigwayan (beeG-wah-yAN), after she brazenly showing romantic intentions with her husband, Lihangin. She cursed the mermaid into a creature that was so scary and hideous so Lihangin would not even look at her. Though a cursed creature, anyone who attacks any sharks and other sea creatures where believed to receive the wrath of the raging goddess. Many fishermen practice sacrificial rituals back then before they go fishing to ask blessings as they take lives of sea creatures whether they may be a big or small catch.

"Si Lidagat at Bigwayan" is made of stamped recycled paper, golden gift wrapper, tracing paper and wax paper. (2020)

"Her eyes and long hair were as dark as midnight, and only her glowing skin shines so bright." This is what inspired the artist to recreate one of her favourite deities, the Bicolana moonlight deity, Haliya. Haliya, the big sister and protector of her little brother and moon god, Bulan. Opposite to her sweet brother, Haliya is known to be strong, apathetic and cruel. She was known to kill both mortal and monster with her broad sword. She was known to wear a mask to hide her real beauty as she puts on this other killer persona and fight her mortal enemy,the mooneater, Bakunawa. Despite of her cold nature, she was convinced by the wind people to go down to the waters of the earth and bathe. The artist also wants to express in this artwork that when Bulan was taken by Sidapa, the god of death, that she spent all her life fighting the Bakunawa with great sorrow and loneliness.

"Si Haliya at Bakunawa" (2021)_

Naguined is one of the deities of war in the Philippines. She was believed to teach people to use snake venom and poisonous plants to kill the enemies. This artwork is a collage of acrylic painted grocery brown bags to reuse from hair, face and body of the character. For the snake, the artist have used a parchment paper and craft punched second layer of parchment paper for the scales. Recycled wax paper, tracing paper and journaling opaque paper were used for the fog and plant silhouettes. Altogether, they were glued, on a acrylic painted mixed media paper.

This artwork is included in, "She, Spellbinding, Sinister," a series of deities in Philippine mythology, who may give curses to people and known to place a mark in our ancestors way of living. Dalikamata, a known healer and seer, she was also known to have made butterflies and moths to watch people in the day, and owls with big eyes, to observe at night. The artist imagined the Hawthorne effect of some people must have felt. The artist have painted acrylic on grocery brown bags and made her own colors while also adding different shades of grey sticky notes for the face. She also used journaling gold stickers, parchment and wax paper, and butterfly lace papers.

This artwork is included in, "She, Spellbinding, Sinister," a series of deities in Philippine mythology, who may give curses to people and known to place a mark in our ancestors way of living. The artist learned about the interesting story of Padilang Gonggolan from the sixth book, "Pahagunong" by Dr. Alicia Magos. Padilang Gonggolan is one of the wives of the warrior, Labaw Dunggon. According to the epics, She got jealous and feared her husband will marry another woman during his seafaring trip that she made a potion of powdered bettel nuts, and crushed bones of sea turtles for her husband to transform into a seaturtle. Though dismayed, Labaw Dunggon continued is trip and arrived safely at the place he needed to be.  The seaturtle in the artwork was made of parchment paper and wax paper, dots were meticulously glued using scraps of punched paper while the rest where painted acrylic on grocery brown bags. 

Suklang Malayon, another sky goddess and sister of Alunsina was always believed as the protector of household and happiness. In the epic, Hinilawod, she warned Alunsina about the flood and then later on sent a maya bird to inform them when can they go back home safely.

I remembered this story and tried to finish this in remembrance to the 110 known victims of the recent drowning and landslide from Typhoon Paeng (Nalgae) - hence the ten hands in this artwork. "Si Suklang Malayon at Mga Inanod na Bukas"