ARTIST STATEMENT: 
My works reflects my experience growing up in two different cultures and is based around ideas regarding the body, gender, race, and the experiences of Southeast Asian immigrants, specifically Filipino-Canadians. My paintings aim to inspire discussion about colonial mentality (a form of internalized racial oppression), cultural dissonance, the demonization of femininity, and detrimental beauty standards set upon young women. I also explore the notion of contradicting identities and the tensions that come with a sudden change in one’s cultural environment. Various artists such as Fernando Amorsolo, Basquiat, Jenny Saville, and Francis Bacon influence my painting style. References to Philippine mythology and religious iconography are also present in my work. 

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY:
Kuhlein Migue is a third-year student in the visual studies program at the University of Calgary. She grew up in the Philippines and moved to Canada when she was 13 years old. Since then, she has been working with various mediums such as coloured pencils and oil paint to create portraits. She developed a passion for photorealistic drawings, finding solace in the meticulous attention to detail it required. However, what started out as realistic depictions of pop culture icons started to progress into more conceptual paintings that merge realism and abstraction.