Artist Hannah Liongoren Explores Filipino Experience - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Artist Hannah Liongoren Explores Filipino Experience - Inside Art with Michael Rose

 

AS220’s downtown galleries opened new exhibitions on June 1 and the offerings contain strong points of view that highlight personal stories. One of the most potent and moving exhibitions is in the organization’s smallest gallery, where artist and designer Hannah Liongoren is sharing a collection of comics that reflect on Filipino identity. It is well worth a visit.

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Taking place in AS220’s Reading Room, an intimate space at 93 Mathewson Street, Liongoren’s exhibition is titled Filipinas|now and shows off a collection of semi-autobiographical comics that explore the immigrant experience. Directly illustrated and full of poignant narrative, the work is a must-see.

 

 

Liongoren was born in Manila and earned a BFA in Visual Communication from the University of the Philippines as well as a Certificate in Interior Design from the Philippine School of Interior Design. The artist subsequently relocated to Providence to pursue a Master’s in Interior Architecture with a focus on Adaptive Reuse and now resides in the City with her partner and daughter. From the time she came to Rhode Island, AS220 has been a major component of her creative practice, so it is fitting that the space is hosting this especially personal exhibition.

 

Reflecting on exhibiting her work at AS220, Liongoren says, “Sharing this body of work at AS220 is incredibly meaningful to me because it ties back to my personal journey, which I explored in my comics. When I moved to Providence from the Philippines in 2014 with my partner, one of the first things we did was join AS220's community maker space. This happened during our very first week in the city, and it became a cornerstone for my artistic and design practice. AS220 played a crucial role in helping me adjust to grad school at RISD and navigate the many changes in my life during my first three years in the US. Showing my work here, a decade later, feels like a full-circle moment. Returning to this space, which fostered so many meaningful friendships and provided me with a sense of community, is truly a gift.”

 

 

Liongoren’s collection of comics comes from an ongoing series that explores the day-to-day life of a Filipino person living far from their family. Through simple but impactful Procreate drawings, Liongoren tells highly personal stories that allow viewers into her world. From everyday realities, to a milestone like her RISD graduation, the comics capture a broad scope of experience. In many of the works, the artist utilizes a highly effective two-tone color palette to indicate the 12-hour time difference that separates Providence from the Philippines.

 

Asked what she hopes viewers take away from exploring the work in her show, Liongoren says, “I think, what I want the viewers to experience is a sense of empathy towards the nagging ‘duality of being’ that comes from living in the diaspora. Comics are a wonderful medium to document lived experiences that, while personal to me, are shared by many. I have an impulse to reflect and put this in this form, hoping to capture a glimpse of  both the joys and the trepidation of the immigrant experience.”

 

Liongoren’s show is engaging and the action of sharing so many personal stories is a brave one. A gifted professional designer, Liongoren’s exhibition shows off her other significant talents for narrative comics.

 

 

Liongren’s exhibition is one of a slate of strong offerings at AS220. Alongside her Reading Room show, the Project Space at 93 Mathewson Street is hosting a solo of longtime Providence artist Ida Schmulowitz, who is exhibiting a collection of colorful and large-scale studio interiors. In the Main Gallery at 115 Empire Street Jessica Reyes is sharing illustrative works that explore both tattoo practice and Guatemalan heritage. Also, in the Main Gallery, Callie Mulcahy is showing works full of pattern and color that probe the artist’s self-described quarter-life crisis. Upstairs in the Aborn Gallery at 95 Empire Street, an exhibition assembled by AS220 Gallery Director Neal Walsh features a strong showing by Amanda Gray, Julian MacMillan, and Ashley Pelletier, who are exhibiting narrative and abstract paintings alongside floor-based sculptures that all share overlapping formal qualities.

 

 

There is much to see across AS220’s vibrant gallery spaces this month. All of the shows on view share personal perspectives, whether they explore experiential stories or more formal points of view. Taking the time to look carefully at these artworks, visitors will find new ways to connect with a group of talented Rhode Island artists.

 

AS220’s current exhibitions are on view through June 29. The galleries are free and open to the public 12-5 pm, Thursday - Saturday. For more information and to plan your visit, go to www.as220.org, or email [email protected].

 

Follow Hannah Lionogren’s comics on Instagram @filipinas.now