Melanie Tiongson's mixed media paintings are a fusion of purposeful collages featuring vintage Tagalog books, expressionist abstraction, and illustration, all aimed at conveying positivity and love. Her artwork exudes a playful and whimsical spirit, portraying figures brimming with curiosity inspired by Filipino folklore and the unbridled freedom found in her young daughter's imagination.
Born in the Philippines,
Tiongson tries to integrate the stories that shaped her as an artist into each
of her artworks. To do so, she collects old vintage papers and books from the
Philippines dating all the way back to the 1800s. When possible, she integrates stories of
Filipino folklore and Philippine’s history into her collages. This mix of the
historical and whimsical encapsulates Tiongson’s experience as an immigrant
and a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
"At the age of fifteen, my
family and I immigrated to Oakland California which changed my life profoundly.
As a young teenager, it was a difficult transition to adapt to this new
environment. Back in the '90s being part of the LGBTQ+ community made it more
difficult. It was a tremendous change for me, almost like losing one's
identity. I found solace in art putting my thoughts and emotions onto blank
pieces of canvas, a place of catharsis.”cTiongson studied at the Art
Institute of California in San Francisco which pushed her beyond traditional
drawing toward her unique illustration inspired style in part through her love
of graphic design. Over the course of the last year, Tiongson also started
creating artwork together with her young daughter who taught her to “paint
without restriction, to stop overthinking composition, and to have fun.”
