About

RECLAIMING THE FEMININE THROUGH ART

Woman Create [ real name: Marika Callangan ] is a collage artist, muralist, and maker based in Metro Manila, Philippines. Her vibrant works explore feminist themes such as identity, body, femininity, and female rage. Inherent to her art practice is the intention of resonating feminist ideals to women’s experiences through exploratory collages, weaving fragmented narratives that visually narrate transformative empowerment within conditioned patriarchal backdrops. In doing this, she uses art as a means to provoke autonomy and emancipation in women. 

Her process often embodies a playful approach that carefully includes male-defined images of femininity and considers the power of colors in conjuring emotion in viewers. By evoking a sense of movement through this abstract play between imagery and color, she comments on the derogatory constructs of femininity and reframes these perceptions to reclaim women and their identities. She also explores how other materials such as weaving, embroidery, and found objects could be incorporated in collage as a way to elevate the narratives behind the work.  

Currently, she is pursuing her Master’s in Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines. She held her first solo exhibition at ANIMA Art Space in 2023 and continues to participate in group exhibitions, with previous shows held in Cartellino, Everything’s Fine, and Art in the Park PH. She has also done online shows through ArtDrop.PH and Arts Talks PH during the pandemic in 2020. She also participated as an exhibitor in her first international art convention at Taipei Art Book Fair in 2024.

She is a member of local artist collectives, such as Manila Collage Collective and Metro Montage PH. Some of her partnerships and brand collaborations include H&M Philippines, Bonifacio Art Foundation, Inc., Booth & Partners Philippines, MONKI, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and Malayang DIWA.

Since 2015, she has campaigned for women’s rights and grass-root feminist movements, often initiating non-profit art events and feminist campaigns, which have included workshops, talks, performances, and active group conversations that provide safe spaces for women and opportunities for their expression.