Maia Cruz Palileo has always possessed artistic drive, but it wasn’t until diving into their heritage that they became interested in using art and expression to reveal certain necessary truths. The truth regarding their upbringing, spirituality, and all of the rich Filipino history that has shaped culture as we know it today.
Parsing through old family photographs and archival Filipino records was the inception point of Cruz’s craft, and has now led to a constantly evolving and growing body of work through which audiences from all walks of life can relate, connect, and most importantly: learn. Cruz’s paintings and sculptures provide information of a culture that has been repeatedly rewritten and often erased. They also spur an innate sense of connectedness — through Cruz’s works, we are all represented.
