CLICK HERE FOR IMIGRANTE’S WEBSITE

The migration of an individual begins a psychosocial process with lasting effects on identity. This play in identity construction ultimately produces a uniquely augmented identity, one that is neither old or new, but instead complex and layered.

Drawing from my background as Filipino and soon to be American, I have collected in this book, an unusual narrative that looks into my own augmented persona. In a way, this is a very familiar plot, one that we’ve seen a lot in autobiographical books and movies, where the immigrant comes to America to take a shot at the American dream. But this book is a bit strange, it is still the same story but it’s told differently because I’m telling it.

My experience as an immigrant is the biggest adventure of my life so far and you will get to take a peek at it. The chapters in this book were inspired by the ‘Welcome To America’ immigration packet given to me when I first came here. This book’s structure is based on the glossary of the packet, arranging each narrative alphabetically, giving order to an extremely chaotic experience. The characters you’ll see in the book are abstract representations of the protagonist, the immigrant, and the author: myself.These characters’ forms are constantly changing in each narrative, a rendition of how I constantly wrestled with cultural, social, political, and religious differences and this book does a great job in telling how each experience has changed me anew.

By exploring certain identity shifts that I have undergone as a 19 year old immigrant coming here from the Philippines, this book hopes to illuminate the complexities of identity and self that we all face when entering a new place, and how we move forward.

I hope you enjoy exploring this narrative as much as I enjoyed telling it.

CLICK HERE FOR IMIGRANTE’S WEBSITE

The migration of an individual begins a psychosocial process with lasting effects on identity. This play in identity construction ultimately produces a uniquely augmented identity, one that is neither old or new, but instead complex and layered.

Drawing from my background as Filipino and soon to be American, I have collected in this book, an unusual narrative that looks into my own augmented persona. In a way, this is a very familiar plot, one that we’ve seen a lot in autobiographical books and movies, where the immigrant comes to America to take a shot at the American dream. But this book is a bit strange, it is still the same story but it’s told differently because I’m telling it.

My experience as an immigrant is the biggest adventure of my life so far and you will get to take a peek at it. The chapters in this book were inspired by the ‘Welcome To America’ immigration packet given to me when I first came here. This book’s structure is based on the glossary of the packet, arranging each narrative alphabetically, giving order to an extremely chaotic experience. The characters you’ll see in the book are abstract representations of the protagonist, the immigrant, and the author: myself.These characters’ forms are constantly changing in each narrative, a rendition of how I constantly wrestled with cultural, social, political, and religious differences and this book does a great job in telling how each experience has changed me anew.

By exploring certain identity shifts that I have undergone as a 19 year old immigrant coming here from the Philippines, this book hopes to illuminate the complexities of identity and self that we all face when entering a new place, and how we move forward.

I hope you enjoy exploring this narrative as much as I enjoyed telling it.

Snakes, unrequited love, and tragic murder. Federico García Lorca is one of Spain’s greatest literary figures, and is one of the most widely recognized Spanish writers in the English-speaking world. In August 1936, after the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, Lorca was executed by firing squad for being a homosexual; his books were burned publicly, and his name forbidden by the Franco government.

After weeks of research and having collected hundreds of his photographs, love letters, and drawings, I decided to document the events of Lorca’s life by designing a poster using his romantic and tragic biography. I wanted to adapt the vernacular of the newspaper to recall the political conflicts his writing brought him. I also wanted the reader to be able to trace the events of his life from birth to death with collaged mementos from the artist’s family and friends. I intended this poster to celebrate the poet’s life and to commemorate that his death made him a martyr and an international symbol of political repression.

This branding project’s goal was to create a fictitious retail store and an original identity and branding for it. I’ve created Cut Slash Gash, a retail store that sells all kinds of sharp implements, from kitchen knives to shark teeth. This curious retail store’s identity transforms mundane objects into desirable items through woodcut style of illustrations, photography and a limited color palette of red white and black.

Dark humor and narrative play a big part in Cut Slash Gash’s identity. In order to bring the sharp objects to life, the store catalog and website feature famous murderers from the past six centuries next to the implement they have used in their work. In each piece, action words and their definitions appear next to the illustrated objects to highlight the tools’ function and beauty, emphasizing the brand’s playful approach.

This research project’s goal was to gather material for our chosen topic and compile them in to a history book. I chose to do my research on the history of the freak shows. My initial intention for this research stems from the paradoxical human attraction and repulsion for the deformed, but as I found their biographies, I decided to feature their inspiring personal lives as well.

Through collaging my researched visuals, the book has a touch of playfulness and surprise. By keeping the elements of the circus vernacular through imagery and typography, I was able to create a chronological record of the history of circus freak shows no longer as a side show, but as the main event.

Dark room with no windows and you’ve got sweaty palms. For this poster series I applied a hybrid based process that explores my assigned theme of cross examination from Raymond Queneau’s book, The Exercises in Style. This unique process allowed me to create different typographic dimensions that echo the experience of being questioned under pressure. Strictly using only typography, I utilized illustrative constructions, biomorphic forms and appropriate materials to compose posters that delivered the dizzying and intimidating mood of being interrogated.

I love when people say I must have been really bored. I can’t stand staring at the screen for more than a couple hours straight, it makes me cranky, but my hands need to keep busy. These illustrations are for those contemplative times I spend not designing. These intricate pen and ink drawings allowed me to escape typesetting when I’m having one of my fuck the grid moments and carpal tunnel scares.

I think we are shaped and fashioned by the wind and the trees! These paper dolls were inspired by the frightening fashion stylings of drag queens combined with patterns and forms of the mysterious woods. Behold the shameless paper dolls and their nature inspired clothes! I compiled these dolls in a book to share with my friends, so they can have experience of good old cutting and folding. My favorites are the Mushroom skirt, Caterpillar gown and Lightning Cloud jumper. Books will be available in Etsy soon.

Missing limbs and heavy shells for houses. A three legged toad meets a suicidal turtle, this is the précis of this children’s story I wrote and illustrated for my nephew to teach him a lesson or two about discrimination and bullying. This short but sweet story highlights appreciation for many different forms of individualities.