Kuhlein Migue

Kuhlein Migue is a multidisciplinary artist from the Philippines currently based in Mohkínstsis (Calgary). Her work is informed by the Filipino diaspora in Canada, with a primary focus on the legacies of colonialism and imperialism. She approaches these topics through traditional hand weaving techniques and the recontextualization of paintings from Filipino art history.

Artist Statement

Kuhlein Migue is an artist currently based in Calgary. Her works draw inspiration from Filipino art history and movements including Abstract Expressionism, Impressionism, and the Vienna Secession. Her studio-based research examines how spaces of belonging are reimagined and reproduced in response to historical and contemporary practices that categorize racialized individuals as the "other." These themes are materialized through painting, drawing, and traditional hand-weaving techniques.

In the shade of the chico tree

In the shade of the chico tree is a reconstruction of the banig – a traditional handwoven mat from the Philippines with strong associations with family, home, and comfort. The process involves cutting up paintings of the home I grew up in and weaving them together to investigate how relationships, identities, and memories shift, how they unravel and form again, and the laborious act of keeping them intact—an experience often shared by individuals in the diaspora.