Published February 16, 2021, 6:33 PM
Dubbed as ‘
Diwata,’ the photograph collection is currently part of the Southeast Asia Queer Cultural Festival 2021: ‘Be/Longings,’ running until March 13
The Oryol, Nagmalitung Yawa Sinagmaling Diwata, and Sirena
Filipino artists and fashion creatives Renz Botero, Natu Xantino, and Ram Botero put queer culture and Philippine mythology on the spotlight with their visual work dubbed “Diwata.”
Presented at the Southeast Asia Queer Cultural Festival 2021: “Be/Longings” until March 13, 2021, the group’s photography work shows the country’s pre-colonial gods and deities following artist Grey Grant’s essay on queering mythology.
“This queer reading, or queering mythology, is the inspiration of our photography project, ‘Diwata.’ While homoerotic and gender non-conforming narratives can be found in pre-colonial Philippine mythology, only fragments remain, and their authenticity is still contested,” the artists say. “J