How Political Organizing + Art Go Hand in Hand: A Conversation with Ashya
FELIX: Can you tell me a little bit about the artwork that is being featured?
ASHYA: It’s an interview-based project that will be integrated into sculpture. I put out a call for Filipino-American participants to share photos and stories about their family’s migration history, including personal relationships to language and religion, migrant working conditions, family dynamics, significant milestones in life, etc. This project is meant to showcase the unity of our experiences and struggles within the Filipino diaspora.
Some work-in-progress pics that Ashya sent us of their project a few months ago.
FELIX: My next question is, how has your identity and upbringing influenced your artwork?
ASHYA: Art has always been a very personal and vulnerable thing for me. Since I was 5 and to this day, I have drawn and painted in my room in the dark very often, you know? I thought that was just my idea of fun - I mean, it was - but as I've grown older, I realized that it was a coping mechanism for having to solve problems on my own as a child and grandchild to Filipino immigrants.
Within the Fil-Am community, there is a pressure to assimilate with Americans and hide our culture, so I was never able to fully understand why my family refused to teach us our languages, why we were expected to overwork in our career to send money overseas, or why my tito needed to get married as soon as possible to stay in the US - It was just something that had to be done.
Overall, there was a heavy feeling of shame around our heritage and a lack of answers as to why my family left the Philippines. With this realization, I’ve since used my art to work through these feelings and educate myself and others.
FELIX: As both an artist and an organizer, how do you think your art plays a role in sparking conversations and building community? What do you hope people will take away from your art?
ASHYA: I’ve only been organizing for two years so far and one of the things I’ve been questioning myself on, is how to utilize my natural inclinations as an artist towards deepening the Fil-Am community’s collective understanding of the economic and political conditions overseas. This project is intended to explore that through our conditioning to internalize that we are still a part of Filipino history; Our entire existence is innately political. We are necessary to create change for the interest of the people by empowering each other to break the cycle of the colonial mindset and fight for a true, free Philippines.
It’s all interconnected. Our existence is intertwined with politics and everything that is around us too.
FELIX: You mentioned how automatism is prioritized, and your art process goes with the flow. Could you describe the process of creating art? And are there any moments of artist's block?
ASHYA: Intuitively, I have always created art in a meditative state, allowing my subconscious to do the work for me. Music, moods, and reflections determine the direction and tone of the artwork over time. For example, some of the work I enjoy creating is in collaboration with musicians - I would listen to their music on repeat, creating shapes and textures based on how I'm feeling when I hear certain sounds, progressions, rhythms, etc. As a result, the artwork embodies the essence of who the musicians are as people.
The only problem with this process is that I get bored pretty fast. It can be difficult for long-term projects because the excitement of an idea calms about halfway through a piece and I’ll always want to move on to the next shiny blank canvas. It’s something I’ve been rectifying, especially with this project - It’s the first time I’ve been so intentional with the planning before even touching the artwork.
With this project specifically, I've kind of changed in that way where I'm putting a lot of intention into this project before I even start touching the artwork, which is something that I've never even dreamed I would do, but it'll be interesting to see how my process will change, or how it will get integrated into each other.
FELIX: Your art process tends to be very in the moment. How do you think this kind of project challenged you in terms of planning and structure?
ASHYA: I was raised with a very individualistic approach to art; It was something that I’ve always done alone and for myself. So, this project challenged me to be more open and vulnerable with my community. I had to talk through my self-doubt, trust my intuition, and prioritize communication for this all to work out. If I felt stuck somewhere during the process, I had to remind myself that it was okay to ask questions and lean on others for help - Especially when it came to scheduling, interviews, collecting photos, etc.
Because of the size and nature of Ashya’s resin-covered photocollage project, it became the detachable poster that is found in every copy of Issue 3 we make.
FELIX: If you could time travel into the future, what would you want to see in the world?
ASHYA: Living under a capitalist and imperialist system, it's encouraged that we fend for ourselves, shut each other off, and overwork with the desire to “get out of the rat race”. Our money is being used to fund genocide and militarization in the global south, while basic human needs aren’t able to be met without an increasing price tag attached. I would love to see a future where people can spend more time experiencing rest, joy, and community. I would love to see a system in place that is for the people, by the people.
You can see Ashya’s full final project by purchasing 03: The Identity Issue.
