Mapping Spirituality and Resistance through the works of KASIBULAN (Women in Art and Emerging Consciousness) and The O Home in the Philippines

Publication information:

Sales, Joshua Ezekiel, Yllang Montenegro, Len -Len, and Aba Lluch Dalena. 2025. “Mapping Spirituality and Resistance through the Works of KASIBULAN (Women in Art and Emerging Consciousness) and The O Home in the Philippines.” in Spirituality and the Arts. Harvard Divinity School: Program for the Evolution of Spirituality.

Abstract

Workshop: This workshop aims to introduce the works of two artist groups in the Philippines through a digital exhibition set-up. The two groups, namely The O Home and KASIBULAN (Women in Art and Emerging Consciousness), have interlinked histories with the former being a younger offshoot. Both groups touch on feminist themes, indigenous wisdom, and the numinous. With their post-martial law history, the exhibition tackles the synergy between creative resistance and spiritualities (ecumenical, and alternative) that emerged through the era of dictatorship and neocolonialism in Philippines (1972-1981) up to the present, while including additional artworks that participants may entangle from their own contexts through a workshop.


Presenter Biographies

Ezekiel Sales is an artist and activist researcher whose work revolves around food justice and urban ecosystems. He has been invited to facilitate workshops internationally related to embodied mapping and performance. He has been a collaborating artist for The O Home since its inception.

Yllang Montenegro is a feminist and independent artist. Her experiences as a migrant worker sparked her involvement in activism where she founded Empowerment Through Art in 2017. She is a current board member of the pioneering feminist artist group in the Philippines, KASIBULAN, and co-founder of The O Home

Len-Len is a feminist artist whose work is mostly narrative with themes that navigate childhood, feminism, and grief. She has participated in solo and group exhibits in the Philippines and the USA. She is a member of KASIBULAN, and the co-founder of The O Home.

Aba Lluch Dalena is a painter, sculptor and songwriter. To date, she has had 17 solo art exhibitions. Many of her works convey a political and spiritual message. She is part of environmental and indigenous peoples rights advocacy groups, and a collaborating artist for The O Home.