Minette Lee Mangahas

2012-01-26T22:14:00.003-05:00

There comes a time in one's work where it feels like you're teasing at the edge of madness. Where you are living in a movie, and things aren't quite what they seem. Like you've slipped through some rabbit hole, unknowingly, as you toiled through the night.

Its a precarious place. A dimension simultaneously between waking and dreaming.

I recently discovered that pictures taken in moonlight, saturated by long exposure, are somehow richer than those blasted by the rays of the sun. Its as if, in moonlight, objects are allowed a place of rest, to be themselves, to emanate their inner qualities. Their true colors.

These days, I prefer the solitude and quiet of the night to the gregariousness of the day. Ran than feeling blinded by the darkness, I feel as though I can see through things. Beyond the facades and surfaces. No displays, no pretensions, no distractions.

To be able to live in true darkness is a privilege afforded by the jungle. What little light there is surrounds the human dwellings. We are technically creatures of the day, fearful of the dark. And hence, we deprive ourselves of its secrets--and its wisdom.

In these circumstances, what little artificial light there is can blind you to the world beyond its reach. Ironic that illumination can be a source of darkness.

Here is a photograph of the lake behind Larry (the pooch on the porch above). I shot it just moments before meeting him that same night.

I guess I've always been a fan of subtlety. Of saying more in revealing less. Of teasing the audience, making the role of viewing an active engagement of the imagination.

These days, as artists in a world deprived of art education, we have to teach our audiences to see. Most children are not taught how to read paintings, photographs, sculpture. Many have no experience of making it themselves, and so have no insight into what makes art valuable. Half the message is in the process the object conveys. I believe this truly.

Yet, unless we use we use the medium of the vernacular like television, popular music and movies, we are speaking in a foreign language. And even then, if we want them to be moved at a deeper level, we have to take them by the hand and walk with them through the work. Just as my calligraphy teacher would teach me, by letting me experience the ink strokes one after another, hand in his.

I was born on Oahu, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Within two weeks of my birth, I was crossing that ocean to Asia. Throughout my life, I would continue to criss cross between islands and continents. Now, as my work takes me to different countries, integrating different written languages into the fabric of the paintings and projections, I am challenged to speak across cultures as well. I feel as though I am sewing the earth together, just as I might unite different parts of myself.

Perhaps that is why I now find myself drawn to the night. Something about letting down our hair, letting down the curtain, letting down our guard. In sleep, we become vulnerable but also intrinsically honest. In this state, the subconscious rules. And the subconscious is the true judge of art. Intuition, that place behind the theatrics of logic, is the only trump card we have to education. If we listen to it, it will lead us to what is true.

And that place of truth is what makes art a universal language.

Up, up, up...

2011-12-22T13:40:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, in my short life I have seen places in which I felt that Buddhism has become like an empty shell. Places in which the cultures and traditions that serve as vehicles for the message of Siddhartha have become so heavy with habit and obligation that they obscure rather than support the pursuit of freedom. Where prayer is a kind of begging for the granting of wishes. Where there is more of an emphasis on what we can get in this life, than what we can give.

In these places, I ask myself, "What can we do?" Or, should we do anything at all.

Often, I am seduced by the bells and incense, the fervent chanting, the pomp and circumstance of rituals that seem ancient, mysterious and sublime. In the face of such pageantry, why question anything?

Photo by Manjusri Balangoda

But it seems to me that Buddhism is, in essence, a path of questioning. And when we stop asking honest questions, then the sincerity that lights the path of dharma goes out.

It was in this spirit of asking questions that I climbed to the apex of Sri Pada last week with three good friends. Also known as Adam's Peak, this mountain is a site of holy pilgrimage for thousands in Sri Lanka each year. It is believed that Shakyamuni Buddha came there at one point, leaving an impression of his foot on a rock at the top. Christians believe it is where Adam first came to Earth. Hindus come for many different reasons, including a veneration of the Buddha as an emanation of Shiva. And everyone, including a smattering of foreign visitors, comes to see the view.

Amanda and Steve prep for the climb in our hotel room.

Like many, we left our guest house in Nallathanniya at around 1:30am in order to make it to the top for sunrise. Thankfully, the climbing season has been slow to kick into full throttle, and we came on a week day which meant avoiding huge crowds and the blaring speakers making announcements all the way up. Instead, we found ourselves serenely hiking up dimly lit stone and cement stairways, and passing just a few sleepy tea shops on the way. Sri Lankan grandmothers were already climbing down in their flip-flops, which was quite amazing and somewhat reassuring.

After hiking for half an hour, we came to a stream where Ven. Manjusri Thero showed us the rituals that first-timers do to assure a safe and successful ascent.

He gave each of us coins and a lime. We climbed down to the river in the dark to wash the coins with the water and lime.

The coins are then wrapped in a white cloth and tied to our wrists with mantra.

We stopped for tea once and I snapped a shot of this little dog, who managed to follow us up most of the way. (He was far more awake than we.) We gave him a few cookies, and he turned back before the steepest ascent to the peak.

We found this perfect little frog nestled in the corner of a stone step on the way up.

At some points, the climb was so steep I felt I was going to fall backwards! We clung to the rails for support. Its hard to imagine climbing this back before they had steps and rails. But apparently many explorers of centuries past climbed it using iron chains anchored into the granite rock.

The view from the summit just before dawn was breathtaking.

My compatriots, Amanda Keissel, Manjusri Thero, and Steve Francone.

It was cold up there!

Dawn breaks, revealing a magical landscape.

At the top we took off the bands and tied them unto a rod at the base of the shrine. No photos are allowed of the shrine protecting the Buddha's print on the rock. So most of these images are of the view from the rock and the pathways around the main shrine.

Manjusri Thero with new friends. I loved this monk's pink jacket!!! We first met him in Kandy at the Temple of the Tooth, and he followed the same pilgrimage circuit up Adam Peak the next day.

After a blissful stay and hot breakfast at the top, we began our descent down the many, many steps. Only this time, we could see them.

Always good to fuel up on bananas, provided by our beloved monk.

The tradition of unwinding string during the climb causes many layers of gauzy cotton thread to accumulate up the sides of the trail, like a massive spider web to the top.

Demonstrating the Spiderman mudra with the sacred thread. (Photos by MT)

Here you can just barely see the little town where we began our hike, to the lower left of the lake. That's how far we came.

Construction materials are carried up for seasonal buildings. (Photo by MT)

These trinket shops amazed me. This one reminded me of an old children's book about a man selling an enormous stack of hats.

Back at the beginning.

Giant hornet nests hang from a tree with Sri Pada in the distance.

Photo by Manjusri Balangoda

My Little Housekeepers

2011-12-09T08:03:00.001-05:00

As much as we're trained to think of ants as pests, they are in fact incredibly diligent housekeepers.

Living in the jungle means co-existing with an incredible number of insects, both inside and outside. Being Buddhist, I try to practice catch and release whenever I find an inconveniently large or active bug in my bedroom or bath. (I'm not much for crushing large critters.) Last night, I trapped a cricket in the bath room. I have a particular loathing for crickets that hop in unpredictable ways, especially when I'm trying to do my business.

Feeling sleepy, I decided to keep him in the little tupperware trap until morning. Unfortunately, in the morning there were ants around the base of the trap, which told me the little guy had passed away in the night. Sure enough, when I lifted the box there was already a flotilla of little worker ants lifting up the cricket's body the way hoards of pilgrims might hold aloft a statue of the Virgin Mary on the streets of Mexican towns during Catholic holidays.

As soon as I released their fence, they proceeded with their funeral march, right out the door. When I returned half an hour later, not a trace of the cricket remained. A few ants stayed behind to scout out the premises, just to make sure. But otherwise, the place was clean.

I consider these guys my automatic vacuum cleaners.

Gadget Monk + The Original Tree

2011-12-06T12:55:00.002-05:00

The Train Station

Last month I posted numerous pictures of the sacred Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya, India. That tree, planted at the spot where the Buddha woke up, is actually a descendent of a tree in Sri Lanka called Sri Maha Bodhi. This tree happens to be about an hour away from Islander, in Anuradhapura.

Sri Maha Bodhi

The left-most trunk--the one supported by the golden poles-- is the oldest and only remaining branch of the original Bodhi Tree brought to Sri Lanka in 288 BC. It is the tree with the oldest recorded history in the world. (The other branches are new off-shoots or grown from cuttings.)

It is so holy, that three tiers protect it from pilgrims. (As you can see, I'm on the lowest wrung.) I was accompanied by the Venerable ManjuSri Thera, who was able to go to the top because he happened to be friends with a monk who was sweeping at the time. (In the picture below, he is the orange spot meditating in the right hand corner.)

And here he is in the flesh, the last in a row of men representing the Buddhas of our age.

We stopped for lunch in Mihintale, at a gorgeous grove filled with ruins called Kaludiya Pokuna or "Black Water Pool".

I immediately loved this place! Huge granite boulders still bear the marks of walls built to house the many monks who practiced here. You could imagine them bathing in the lake amidst stupas and the countless turtles that still live there.

A bit of a techie, ManjuSri Thera keeps his SLR lens cap in his shoes during our picnic.

With Anil, our gracious driver.

Exploring nearby caves. To the right of the entrance, you can see the ditch that collected rainwater for this hilltop hermitage.

ManjuSri deduced that this was the site of a reclining Buddha once upon a time. You can still see the remnants of his legs and the shrine form on the wall. Sadly, this site has been pillaged by thieves searching for treasure.

(All photos with me in them were taken by MajuSri Thera.)

Elie Crossings: A hike through Ganapativanum

2011-11-24T22:14:00.004-05:00

I love this street sign.

A warning to those new to Sri Lankan country driving: NEVER honk at an elephant crossing the road, thinking that will make it cross faster. They are not cows. And they could get upset and turn your car over.

I heard that this actually happened to one unfortunate Sewalanka driver who was new and hadn't been much out of Colombo.

Lawrence and Shani of Hansa Coffee--my favorite Sri Lanka coffee company--came up for a visit to Islander last week. We took a hike around the land in the area known as an elephant corridor, called Ganapativanum.

Fittingly, one of the first things you come across is a Ganesh shrine by side of the dirt road there.

A native of Seattle, Lawrence has an amazing knowledge of the island's flora and fauna. While on this hike, I enjoyed the many tidbits of trivia he'd pull out about one nondescript plant after another..."This is for snakebite." "This is an aphrodisiac." He's an experienced herbalist, and someone I wish I had in my back pocket to pull out now and then.

A delicate Sri Lankan Passionflower and bud.

Amanda points out weaver birds' nests. We found one that had fallen off the tree, and I brought it back to my work space.

(It now functions as a convenient duster, unfortunately).

An idyllic elephant look-out amidst rice paddy fields. This place looks like a heaven for poets.

As you might imagine, elephants can wreak havoc on crops.

Lawrence's foot vs. Elephant foot

Mushrooms growing in cow dung.

Here's another elephant look-out.

Here's Steve, attempting to get into that treehouse.

This hand-carved stone belongs to the time of the Anuradhapura kings. It was used in the dam system to irrigate the paddy fields year-round, although we don't know exactly what it did.

The Islander lake at dawn.

The view from the entrance at sunset.

The Gala

2011-11-19T01:25:00.000-05:00

This is the piece showing at the Tibet House in NYC this Saturday, Nov. 19. Its on auction to benefit the International Network of Engaged Buddhists future art programs, and was created in Bodh Gaya this past month during the International Arts Gathering set-up by the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB). I've been remiss in posting pictures from that conference, but needless to say it was a crucible kind of experience.

Tents were set-up in the courtyard, tables and stands in each dormitory hallway. There was paint, canvas, paper, and clay strew about the various buildings.

Thirty-three of us creative-types, plus at least a half-dozen INEB organizers, descended upon Wat Thai Buddhagaya for seven days. We came in by bus, train and air from seven different countries. We barely shared any one language (except of course, the language of art). Needless to say, the poor monks and nuns had no idea what they'd signed up for when they agree to host us.

We held performances and slideshows in the dining hall hours after the nuns went to bed.

We sketched each and every nook and cranny.

We explored the art in new temples being built.

We visited holy sites. This is on Vulture Peak, where the Buddha first taught the Heart Sutra.

We had impromptu photo op sessions on the roof of buildings.

Some of us made absolutely incredible art.

We were inspired by the company of holy men, who were also artists.

We got our hands dirty.

We came with some pretty incredible work all ready to exhibit.

In short, we worked hard and had a blast. I met an incredible array of artists working in South and Southeast Asia. It was really a kind of cross-cultural Buddhist art college of sorts. It was a remarkable opportunity to be exposed to multiple traditions at once. Here's a list of us all:

Thai artists included Bhanuwat Kittivuthikarn, Mareeya Dumronophol, Apisak Wattiwanpol and Somyot Kumsang, Sitthichai Smanchat, Supot Singhasai, Surasak Rodphrohboon, Suwat, Saenkattiyarant, Chatchawan Rodklongtan, Lipikorn Makaew, Phra Pol Kuwiangwai, Peap Vara Misara Prakitsilpa, Plaek Kitfuangfoo, Boonrat Na-Wichai, Pornchai Chaima, Sone Simatrang, and Songdej Thipthong.

Indian artists included Kaustav Paul, who studies ceramics at Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan, and Bodh Gaya artists Anish Kumar, who studied Tibetan thanka painting in Nepal, and Jagjeevan Kumar, who is a self-taught artist.

Wang Jian and Zhang Hong hailed from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in China. Nguyen Xuan Viet came from Vietnam. Tiane Vilayphonechith and Chaleunphone Phonnabouth traveled from Laos. Zaw Win came from Burma and I flew in from the United States.

What a way to dry clothes!

2011-11-11T06:29:00.001-05:00

Its 11-11-11. I just have to say that. It may mean absolutely nothing, and pass without much event. But if you believe in the beauty of numbers, of the stars, calendars, serendipity and the universe, then perhaps its significant. At the very least, its poetic. Happy 11-11-11!

(I saw her, perched on the side of this cliff, above a river on the road from Bodh Gaya to Rajgir. And I was amazed.)

Bathing with Crocs

2011-11-09T13:12:00.002-05:00

I loved the bouquet of flowers this driver stashed in his tuktuk. Even three-wheeler drivers talk on their phones and drive. This road to Islander isn't paved, so it was like riding a bucking bronco on top of that!

The locals bathe and wash clothes in the lake everyday, unafraid of a family of crocodiles that lives here too. The baby is over 5 feet long. They said the crocodiles don't bother them. (No, I haven't gone in yet.)

One tree on the lake is the evening abode of two different flocks. Black birds (which sleep in the upper half) and white cranes (which sleep on the lower branches).

Almost full moon rising over Islander.

Free to Roam

2011-11-06T12:02:00.000-05:00

Back to the present... Yesterday I made the early morning journey from Colombo to Islander, Sewalanka's retreat center just an hour from Anuradhapura. I have to say, it feels a bit like I'm on a safari--I've seen more wildlife in my first two days here than I've seen in the last two years. On an hour-long walk before sunset yesterday, we saw peacocks flying around the jungle, monkeys playing in the trees, a kingfisher catch a fish, a green hornbill, a star tortoise, butterflies, giant dragonflies, frogs, a miniature scorpion, and geckos galore. Today, on a day trip to Anuradhapura, our bus whizzed by a family of three wild elephants stomping into a poor farmer's rice paddies. Unfortunately, I was only ready with my camera to catch a few of these marvelous beasts... so here is a tortoise, some people, geckos, and cute puppies.

The setting sun caught this tree so dramatically on our trail, I had to take a picture.

A family from the surrounding village stopped to say hello.

Somewhere between the 5th century BC and 11th century AD, the Anuradhaphura engineers built brilliantly calibrated irrigation systems that kept farmland watered year-round. The British were flabergasted when they discovered them, as no such system existed in the Western world. Islander is built around one such "bund" and they have excavated it out of the jungle.

Peacock tracks.

Front porch friends.

Amanda, my host and Sewalanka figure for 10 years, having lunch with Govinda, a Korean volunteer at Islander. (Apparently, Indian friends named him after the Bollywood movie star.)

Other than about 30 Sri Lankans, my company consists of two Korean volunteers and a French expat, Arnoud, who makes amazing ice cream. (More on that later.)

Minju's interior insect fortress.

There are no screens whatsoever at Islander, and the roofs are lofted above the walls for airflow. A fabulous design, except for the faint of heart.

Path to the dining hall.

Resident cuteness

Husking coconuts

Path lined by a living fence, newly trimmed.

A Temple by Moonlight

2011-11-05T11:14:00.002-04:00

After the light offerings to close the INEB Conference, I stuck around the Mahabodhi temple until it closed, captivated by the serenity and golden light that night.

Lamp offerings outside the side gate.

Pilgrims bedding down for an over-night stay beside the Bodhi Tree. I have to say, I was really impressed to see these specially designed meditation nets--a must for insatiable Indian mosquitos and all sorts of free-wheeling beetles and bugs.

Late night offerings for the Buddha inside the main temple.

A thousand Marigolds left in offering overnight.

A golden quilted lotus offering.

A Room With a View

2011-11-03T23:35:00.000-04:00

From my room this morning in Colombo

Sri Lanka is so wet and green, its such a nice respite from the brown vastness of India. On the descent, I was delighted by the dense jungle and endless rows of coconut trees. And its just lovely to be in a city by the ocean!

Sandstone and gold

2011-11-01T02:49:00.000-04:00

The Mahabodhi Temple this morning

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, who was in Bodh Gaya for the INEB conference, commented casually that the first temple was destroyed and this one was built by Muslims. Apparently, they then built a mosque on the site of the original temple, which was not next to the Bodhi tree but on a plot that is outside the current temple complex. (He then wondered if the mosque was for sale.)

This is Wat Pa Buddhagaya, which is one of at least six Thai temples in Bodh Gaya, and the site of the main conference. Its right behind the Mahabodhi Temple grounds, and you can see the spire in the distance. I snuck up on the roof of the monks' quarters with a few Thai artists to take pictures. (Here we are in a rather serious pose.) They told me that this temple is created for the Forest monks tradition and the art is in a style typical of Chiangmai.

While he was here, Aut (center), installed the new lotus throne in the inner courtyard behind the Bodhi tree, which is usually inaccessible. (My pictures are only through the sandstone fence around it). He told me that he was at the temple until 4am doing the gold leaf, and had caught a cold in the process. I'm not sure who commissioned him, but it underscores what an international project the Mahabodhi Temple is. Later that week, Richard Dixie told me that the new gold spire of the temple was created and installed by Nepali master metalsmiths who had to scale the face of the temple to put it on.

Here's the view behind us that isn't usually seen from the town. I wish all of Bodh Gaya were like this! The streets get a bit dusty and its easy to forget we're just a few minutes from verdant fields.

The Tree (and piglets)

2011-10-31T13:33:00.000-04:00

The last 2 weeks in Bodh Gaya at the INEB conference have been amazing. This is a descendent of the bodhi tree under which Siddhartha was enlightened, on the same spot with the shrine erected around it. I've visited it just about everyday, what a powerful place. In touching my forehead as the pilgrims do, I could almost hear him breathe, feel his skin. His presence is palpable.

I've a lot to catch up on, since I haven't been on the internet much this whole time. But I find it only fitting to begin here. ...and to add an adorable picture of pigs. This is sort of what Bodh Gaya is like--a mind-blowing juxtaposition of the most sacred spot in all of Buddhism and families of pigs sleeping under a little shack on the way to a little concrete coffeeshop that serves carrot cake and cappuccino.

London: The Tate Modern

2011-10-17T11:43:00.001-04:00

The Unilever Series by Tacita Dean is analog in the most fundamental sense in this digital time. Edited film with knife and tape on a table. For some reason, its whimsical surrealism reminds me of Dali. But perhaps that's just because I saw "Midnight in Paris" on the plane over from San Francisco.

(btw, I'm not that keen on Virgin America but love Virgin Atlantic. It was the easiest flight over.)

Back to the beginning

2011-10-08T01:36:00.001-04:00

Today I had the opportunity to return to the source of all my work, calligraphy.

I am staying and working in the home of my calligraphy teacher, and I feel so blessed. This week marked a significant end and a remarkable beginning. On the one hand, I packed up and left everyone and everything I called home for the past two years. On the other, I have been given the opportunity to rediscover my roots as I embark on a new journey. For this, I am supremely thankful.

When We Were Kids

2011-07-11T11:49:00.000-04:00

I'm delighted to run back to my brushes and pencils after working with technology so much in the last two years.
My good friend James Garcia has put together a wonderful show dubbed "When We Were Kids", featuring Christopher De Leon, James and myself. Its opening at 1AM Gallery in San Francisco this Friday, July 15 and runs 'til August 14.

Hulahoop Girl (2011)
ink and pencil, 9 in x 12 in

Sampaguita Kid (2011)
ink and pencil, 9 in x 12 in

Sonic Physiognomy

2011-05-22T13:36:00.001-04:00

A nod to the future and the past, this is an instrument that uses the face as a score for music.

Sonic Physiognomy is my response to the politicization of the human face, drawing a relationship between the historical practices of physiognomy or face reading and the technologies of facial recognition and iris identification used for tracking and surveillance.

The is a form of live sonic portraiture, and comprises an installation wherein participants volunteer to have their face “scanned” and translated into sound. (For a future interation, each song will be recorded and made available for download to be used as unique sonic signatures in other applications, such as ringtones on cell phones.)

Detail of exterior wall and interior scanning projection

The Sonic Portrait installation consists of a “scan pod” that is made of over 615 unique pieces of corrugated cardboard that form the shape of two interlocking spirals.

Inside the pod is a mirror, LED, plexiglass screen, a pico projector, a portable speaker, and a webcam. The pod is open to allow people to put their heads inside.

A subject's silhouette is captured and the topography of the face is read into a unique series of chimes and sonic harmonies.

Adam Brillhart looking at the translucency of the material during construction

Interior during construction

Portrait of a person in progress

2011-03-05T01:42:00.001-05:00

A piece I created for Gabe Barcia-Colombo's class. It reflects in many ways, I feel right now. The impending onset of spring. Phase change. Finishing grad school. Entering the stage.

2010 Beijing Biennale

2011-01-12T12:41:00.000-05:00

Co-curated by Koan Jeff Baysa and Pan Xing Lei

in Beijing, Jing Dezhen, and Hong Kong.

Dec. 2010 - Jan 2011

Drawing Out Conversations, Taipei

2010-06-19T21:16:00.000-04:00

Still from "Liwanag"

Nanhai Gallery
20 June - 24 July 2010

Its been a lot of hard work getting here and preparing for the show, but its finally up! Singaporean curator Ling-nah Tang has put together a wonderful host of artists who are thinking about mark making in different ways.

Sin-Tung HO, Hong Kong, with delicate drawings framed and directly on the wall.

Huey-Chian, Singapore, with his ink pool, a 3-dimensional drawing that changes with time.

Kai-Qun CHUN, Singapore, creates installations with drawing utensils.

For "Liwanag, let us dance in the light", I'm collaborating with Matt Richard on an interactive component that integrates viewers faces into the animation. The sculpture holds two plaster masks of my face, one holding a camera and anther the projector. The scroll landscape painting in the background serves as the screen for the animation. It is an imaginary landscape, finger painted in ink and gold, and based on the landscape of Hong Kong.

Eco, Xiang, Echo Blog

2010-05-31T00:04:00.000-04:00

A big thank you to William Cordova, Leslie Hewitt, for putting together this on-line catalogue for the installations.

http://eco-xiang-echo.blogspot.com/

Oakland Museum

2010-05-24T13:05:00.000-04:00

Sending a thank you to the Fabulous Favianna Rodriguez for including me in her public art piece at the Oakland Museum of California.

"Skin Script" installation at Project Row Houses

2010-03-30T16:54:00.000-04:00

When I was growing up in the Philippines I had no knowledge of Baybayin. It was assumed at my schools that we were an oral culture, and that Filipinos adopted Latin-based writing because we did not have our own. It was not until many years after I moved to the US that I discovered, much to my surprise, that Filipinos had their own form of writing—one that was related to Sanskrit and which predated the arrival and subsequent colonization of the Spanish from 1565 to 1898. In the early 1990s, artists and tattoo artists in California discovered the script buried in a few obscure academic studies and began to bring it back to life, literally, by enshrining it in ink on the skins of Filipinos in the US. It has since been resurrected around the world thanks to the Internet.

As an artist and a student of calligraphy and culture, I am fascinated with letterforms and their power to tell the stories of people—not just in the meaning of words but in the stories that are embedded in the gestures and marks themselves. In learning to write the script and piecing together its story through research and interviews, I felt like I was looking into a mirror reflecting my own story. Nylon, tar, nails, and vellum signify skin, sails, mark making, place (Houston),and the Internet. Tattooed on the outside of the house are the names of the young mothers in this community. The figure in tar is Maria Makiling, a popular nymph in Philippine mythology.

"Skin Script" installation at Project Row Houses

2010-03-30T16:21:00.000-04:00

Part of the exhibition "Eco, Xiang, Echo: Meditations on the African, Andean and Asian Diasporas" curated by William Cordova and featuring the work of Glexis Novoa, Albert Chong, Coco Fusco, Ayana Jackson, Crystal Cambell, Marina Gutierrez, Keith and Mendi Obadike, Nsenga Knight, and me.

For a full description of the project, visit my project journal.

"Skin Script" from minette mangahas on Vimeo.

"Runaway Moon" Launch and Reception at SB D Gallery

2010-01-20T21:47:00.000-05:00

Had a wonderful time at the opening reception for "Runaway Moon" last Saturday. The books are available at SB D Gallery. In addition to the hand-bound limited edition books, there are prints, a painting called "Sound" related to the series and an interactive ink-painting landscape on the gallery store-front windows.

You can order the book and see most of the paintings from the book at www.RunawayMoon.com.

See more of Sebastian Buys photographs of the reception at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sebastianbuys/sets/72157623224608362/

In Between: The Tension and Attraction of Difference

2009-11-09T20:58:00.001-05:00

In Between: The Tension and Attraction of Difference
September 29 - November 25, 2009

Reception with the Artists: Tuesday, November 10, 5:30-7:30pm.

TABI TABI PO!!!

2009-11-09T20:41:00.000-05:00

1AM Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Nov. 13 - Dec. 12, 2009

Dedicated to celebrating Filipino folklore through urban contemporary art, San Francisco artist and curator James “gaNyan” Garcia has brought together Filipino artists from the US, Philippines, and Norway to create “Tabi Tabi Po”. The Kapre, Manananggal, Dwende, Tikbalang, and Aswang are just a sampling of these haunting creatures that will be brought to life in this exhibit.

A percentage of the art sales will be donated to the victims of typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng through BAYAN Philippines and BALSA (Bayanihan para sa Sambayanan).

Pacific Asia Museum: Opening Reception

2009-09-30T11:56:00.000-04:00

Calligraffiti:

Writing in Contemporary Chinese and Latino Art

Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, California

September 17, 2009 - January 17, 2010

To listen my excerpts of the audio tour at the museum, call (626) 628-9690 and enter item #611 and #612.

I am so honored to be included in this show. Among the artists featured are my long-time heroes Xu Bing and Wenda Gu. Also featured are Zhang Dali, Chongbin Zheng, Yu-Kun Yang, Chaz Bojorquez, Gronk, John Valadez, and Leo Limon.

My work included a series of parasols created in collaboration San Francisco's Apex and and a painting--"One World, One Dream" that I created as part of a live performance with Desi W.O.M.E. at the Oakland Art Gallery.

Unfortunately, because many of the works belong to private collections, the Museum did not allow photography in two of the galleries. I was able to take pictures only in the gallery with the museum murals and my own pieces.

Video of Xu Bing and LA graffiti artists creating three murals commissioned by the museum in 2003.

Site specific mural by Gronk.Views of the one of the three galleries.

PARAPHRASE: Arario Gallery Opening Reception

2009-06-29T19:05:00.001-04:00

This is a wonderful show curated by Nicole Caruth, featuring enormous installations by Cui Fai of her thorn and twig calligraphic pieces, new tape pieces by Aakash Nihalani and an expansion of works from my Flash Series, including a large piece on the wall of the gallery and new 6' layered scrolls.

Photos from the opening and installation-- Paraphrase, is on view at Arario New York through July 24. (West 25th St. @ 10th Ave.) More pics on Flickr...

The parasols I created with Coby Kennedy are hanging by the entrance as well!

See the Arario Gallery Blog.

Nyima: Art as Alchemy

2009-06-03T08:51:00.000-04:00

In a project inspired by the work of El Anatsui, I worked with local youth, residents, and the staff at Deer Park to create a small piece for the Institute's dining area. We sifted through the collected trash at Deer Park for raw materials that could be transformed--foil and plastic wrappers from chips, chocolate, tea and coffee.

Nyima means "sun" in Tibetan.

Deer Park, Bir

2009-05-25T08:03:00.000-04:00

District Kangra

tea country.

from the roof

panoramic valley views at sunset

here one gets just a tease of the Himalayas

we got fresh snow in the mountains yesterday

its May.

but the rivers are dry

choked by the heat

and the heap of plastic bottles

biscuit wrappers

tires

some afternoons

thunder storms blow through

intense, urgent in their will

to unravel

the most stoic flagpoles

as i walk to the town from deer park

chirping birds give way

to barking dogs

to honking taxis

to trucks rumbling thru

with daily loads of rocks

from the river

it is saka dawa

one of the holiest months in the buddhist calendar

and the whirring of large prayer wheels

chants and the tinkling of tea cups

permeates the tibetan settlement community center.

it is believed this month

the merit of good deeds are

multiplied many thousands of times.

(Pictured: Deer Park temple, a detail from one of the murals at Dzongsar Institute in Chauntra, Geeti and I for a walk down to the river, and the mani stones at Chokling Monastery.)

Delhi

2009-05-16T03:51:00.000-04:00

the wind. it hit me like the voice of a familiar friend,

sending me back

to joys

long lost

past the memory of chili.

this place is music in the form

of spice

infiltrating the air

almost indistinguishable from dust

simmering in the sunlight

songs and thuds from taut

skins

laughter in the morning

bare feet

clapping

this place is music in the form

of prayer

praising the dawn

almost indistinguishable from birdsong

calling to life the wake

of children

sailing past fragrances

sweetly drifting

yellow boughs

Exploring the source anew... the beginning of a new series

2009-03-29T21:01:00.000-04:00

its so yummy to find time to write again. i'm minimally workshopping the poems. i guess for me they've been a part of excavating my creative process...this one is fresh and probably not done. i think i would like it to be the narrative for an animation piece.

("dilaw" is yellow in tagalog and "puti" is white)

dilaw. puti. dilaw. puti.

i cough color
staining baby cheeks
wrists, fingernails
feet

dilaw. puti. dilaw. puti.

hands slapping
morena, mistiza,
dilaw. puti. dilaw. puti.
i raise a hand
in protest
my soul is not reflected
in my color --it lays
between sinews
saving voices
laying dormant
dilaw. puti. dilaw. puti.
until such a time
as spirit erupts
irrepressible and pure
like rage in a forest.

image: From the series "Saving Face" by M. Mangahas, 2006, Philippine cocoa, paraffin, chili

Silhouette of Songs Reception + Performance

2008-11-27T20:13:00.001-05:00

Paintings and animation by Susan Chen and Minette Mangahas. Life music performed--improvised--by FIELD: Walter Kitundu (invented instruments) and Robin Sukhadia (tabla). This was a wonderful event at the Sangati Center in San Francisco that was so well attended, folks were turned away (I'm so sorry to those who could get in!) and there were people sitting underneath and behind the screen!

Paintings, stills and photographs:

1. "Flash" by MM.

2. "Red Tree" by SC.

3. After the performance (l-r) Minette, Susan, Robin, and Walter.

4. Robin and Walter watching a preview before the show.

5. Minette w/ mom Miranda Lee.

6. "Country animation still" by MM.

7. Reception

8. Patricia Wakida and Wallis Harvey

9. "The Green Man" by MM.

10."Chartreuse" by SC.

11. Picture of screen at the Sangati reception.

12. Folks at the reception: Susan, Minette, Camille Hoffman, Jefferson Pinder, Chris, and Janif

The Silhouette of Songs

2008-10-31T00:56:00.000-04:00

The Silhouette of Songs: Minette Lee Mangahas + Susan Chen (painting & animation)

FIELD: Robin Sukhadia (tabla) + Walter Kitundu (invented instruments)

Opening Reception Nov. 8, 7-9 pm
Exhibition of stills and paintings with a preview of the 5-part animated cycle for “The Silhouette of Songs”

Performance Nov. 22, 8 pm
FIELD: Robin Sukhadia (tabla) + Walter Kitundu (invented instruments)
With a screening of the entire cycle for “The Silhouette of Songs”

Exhibition runs through Dec. 19.
The Sangati Center
3049 22nd Street
SF, CA 94110

http://sangaticenter.org

Presented in conjunction with the De Young Museum's exhibition "Asian/American/Modern Art: Shifting Currents" on view from Oct. 25-Jan 18.

The Sangati Gallery is open during events and by appointment.
Please call (510) 962-5044 or email gallery@sangaticenter.org.

4,000 Strokes Opening Reception

2008-10-14T13:46:00.000-04:00

Surya and Minette working on installation for "4,000 Strokes" at Mid City Arts

Chinese scroll collaborations between Minette and writers (l-r) Desi W.O.M.E., Spie, Apex, and Amend One. Large scroll "Flight" in collab with Apex.

Solo paintings by Surya

"Flash" series, solo pieces by Minette Mangahas.

Studies on graffiti tags in ink and silver pigment.

View from window

Surya, Shig and Minette

All photos (except this one) by Hank Willis Thomas.

"One World One Dream" at Oakland Art Day on KTVU News

2008-10-06T00:54:00.000-04:00

Performance painting with Desi W.O.M.E at the Oakland Art Gallery Oct. 3, 2008. Commissioned by the Cultural Arts and Marketing Dept at the City of Oakland.

Click on title above to see feature on the KTVU 10 o'clock News.

4,000 Strokes at Mid City Arts, Los Angeles

2008-09-29T15:36:00.000-04:00

For more info, call 33Third Los Angeles at (310) 684-3460

Exhibition runs from Oct. 3 - 26, 2008

CalliGRAFFiti Opening Reception

2008-07-22T13:49:00.000-04:00

Exhibition through August 15 @ ProArts Gallery

550 Second Street, Oakland, CA | www.proartsgallery.org

Fan by Spye

CalliGRAFFiti Exhibition Jul 1 - Aug 15

2008-07-06T15:27:00.000-04:00

Exploring the affinities between East Asian calligraphy and graffiti, this project involves my collaboration with graffiti writers Amend, Apex, Coby Kennedy, Denz, Desi W.O.M.E, Lucha, Meow, Zen, and Toons. The exhibitition features a 16-foot "Exquisite Corpse" mural, Chinese scrolls, and a series of collaborative paintings and sculptures.

Opening Reception: Friday, July 11, 6-9pm
Artist Talk: Satuday, July 19, 1pm

Exhibit runs from July 1 - Aug 15, 2008

ProArts
550 Second Street, Oakland, CA 94607
www.proartsgallery.org

This project is made possible by support from the Oakland Cultural Arts Programs, CADRE Art Grants, and the Headlands Center for the Arts.

CalliGRAFFiti Headlands Residency

2008-01-27T00:13:00.000-05:00

Experimentation+Discovery+Collaboration Stages

In process and experimental pieces created while in residence with Apex (Ricardo Richey) at the Headlands Center for the Arts in Sausalito, California in 2007 and in the months leading up to the exhibition.

The CalliGRAFFiti Project

2007-09-14T16:16:00.000-04:00

CalliGRAFFi is a collaborative exploration between myself and graff writer Ricardo Richie "Apex" into parallels between East Asian calligraphy and urban American graffiti. We will be in residency at the Headland's Center for the Arts Project Space in November 2007.

Shown here are juxtapositions of some of our work leading up to this project. The large and small pieces by Ricardo that are his explorations of graff-inspired word forms. I have included a few pieces from a series called "Flash," which are inspired by graffiti tags that I have re-interpreted using traditional East Asian techniques and materials.

Works (in the order shown):
Untitled, 2007, acrylic on paper. Ricardo Richie
"Flash No.3" 2007, ink and silver on paper. Minette Mangahas
Wallpiece 2006. Ricardo Richie
"Flash No.2" 2007, ink and silver on paper. Minette Mangahas
"Flash No.4" 2007, ink and silver on paper. Minette Mangahas
Untitled, 2007, acrylic on paper. Ricardo Richie
"Flash No.5" 2007, ink and silver on paper. Minette Mangahas
Wallpiece 2006. Ricardo Richie
"To Touch" 2006, traditional calligraphy, Minette Mangahas

kiss my hyphen (on love across margins)

2007-07-05T09:15:00.001-04:00

Minette Lee Mangahas
Sumi-e (ink painting) animation (2007)
4 min. 40 sec.

I have a love-hate relationship with this symbol called the hyphen. Often used to connect parts of our identity, it’s a sign that both unites and divides, defines and misleads. It is supposed to represent diversity within a person, and yet I often feel that is so inadequate in explaining who we are—our complex communities, histories, and selves—and most importantly, our connection to each other. What happens when this mark comes between two people in love?

Premiered at the 2007 APAture Arts Festival in San Francisco, Ca.
Currently at Joyce Gordon Gallery
Opening Fri., Oct. 5
Reception Thurs., Oct. 11, 5-8:30pm
406 14th Street (@ Franklin), Oakland, Ca

Fête de la Musique

2007-06-28T17:51:00.000-04:00

Ventured into this incredibly refreshing music festival in Paris last week. Managed to shoot some video to record the sights and sounds. I loved it!

ps. You may want to turn your screen sideways, it's shot long :)

Abstract Art with Improvised Brushes

2007-05-19T00:46:00.000-04:00

While in Costa Rica, I was invited Norma Varela at the Colegio Tecnico Artistico in Liberia to give a workshop to her class of fine arts students. The school is the only public arts high school in the country that is free of charge, and many of the students are from poorer communities in and around the city.

She had wanted me to give a demonstration of calligraphy, but since we had no brushes or ink, I decided to ask the students to make their own brushes from found objects around the school.

We were able to gather some yarn, sticks, leaves, feathers, grass, cloth (from an old shirt), glue, and paper from a phone book. I showed the students how to design and secure the brush heads as well.

Paint and paper were also in very short supply, so we worked in groups of 2-3. I asked the students create expressions of a memory or a feeling. They mixed water into left over tempera paint bottles and poured the paint directly unto the paper. Then they used the brushes to move the pigment around.

This was their first experiment with abstract art, and it was very exciting!

Students: Norma Mendez, Monica Contreras, Mario Alcazar, Yarlin Ramirez, Andrea Araya, Christina Rivas, Fransela Melendez, Diana Rodriguez

Alterarte: Mural for Experimental Youth Theater in Liberia

2007-05-11T19:38:00.000-04:00

A group of 10-13 youth who live in the small city of Liberia in the Guanalcaste region of Costa Rica are part of this exciting experimental theater group run by visionary Director Jorge Baltodano.

The performer and activist, Guadalupe Urbina had put me in touch with them, and so I went to help them create sets for their next play, which is about violence. Since most of the youth had no prior experience in painting or drawing, we looked at some of Luciano's work and incorporated stencils and graffiti techniques to develop backdrops for the show.

In Guadalupe's words, "They built this theater with their own hands, at the back of this church..."

I was so touched by the passion of these youth for theater, and their incredible skill and devotion.

Breakdancers at CENAC

2007-05-11T19:24:00.000-04:00

Performing Graffiti @ Fadau

2007-05-11T01:47:00.001-04:00

A mutual friend introduced me to Argentine-Costa Rican urban art virtuoso, Luciano Fevier, with whom I collaborated (and borrowed stencils from) for the performance.

Costa Rica: El Ministerio de Cultura

2007-04-26T23:55:00.000-04:00

In San Jose, on a fellowship from the Rockefeller Flow Fund to curate an exhibition of children's art as part of the First Conference of Women for the Abolition Armies in Central America.

http://www.abolicion2020.org/programa.htm

4.26.07
you will never guess what happened to me today.

i was hanging work at the ministry of culture (artwork by young people from 7 countries) for the conference), a beautiful historic European beer distillary converted into galleries, the Museum of Contemporary Art, a dance institute and performing arts venue.

it was so funny. i would put things up, and then turn my back--and when i turned around everything was undone!

in the meantime, all these bodies were running around--preparing for an avante garde sound performance by an argentinian artist in the adjoining room.
finally, we realized they had double booked the spaces.

well, it all worked out. but guess who they booked almost the entire compound along with us?
FADAU-1er Festival Abierto de Danza & Arte Urbano.

http://www.madc.ac.cr/mambo452/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=246&Itemid=56

they invited me to participate in the international graffiti piece on sunday. needless to say, everything's coming together in the most incredible way.

Kaz painting with Susan's Hair

2007-04-16T03:26:00.001-04:00

One of the few fun things we did at Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico--where I was assisting Kazuaki Tanahashi in a color calligraphy workshop.

Amongst the most unique of the large brushes we used was Susan's extremely long pony tail!

The Art of Awareness

2007-04-04T17:58:00.000-04:00

Something to share ...

I had the opportunity recently to work with students at Oakland Tech High School in a program called the Art of Awareness. It was organized by Alta Bates Hospital to raise youth awareness of issues around breast cancer, and merged science lectures with art-making workshops.

Here are some pieces that came out of our first workshop -- created by two students and inspired by slides of healthy and malignant cells and the poetry of Audrey Lorde.

I am dedicating this work to my grandmother, Ruby Kelley Mangahas who passed away from breast cancer last year.