Category: OM France Viana Studio

Sharing more of the extended research & photography of my month long ARROZidency artist-in-residence.

If you are just starting here, I recommend scrolling to the bottom to start at the beginning. View from a computer for the full experience!

As another reminder, I've split up the work from my residency into 2 separate tags:

For my main residency project only, visit:

For the full extended roundup of my research during my residency, visit:

ARROZidency

It was Sunday, February 2, 2025. The rain was making its way through San Francisco & I had a ticket to the Asian Art Museum's free admission day. The rain was coming down & I remember being on the phone with my partner in the morning, asking him if I should still go, because it was raining & I wanted to be cozy. 😅 He encouraged me to go, because I may never get another chance to experience this again. I got dressed & had a short bike ride over to the museum from my sublet in Nob Hill.

I was hoping that even though it was the free admission day, that not many people would be there because it was raining. I was sadly mistaken, haha! It was a bit too crowded for my taste, too noisy, I had a hard time navigating the galleries, some of the galleries were closed for installation, & from what I did get to see, I wasn't really impressed with the exhibitions.

However, the main thing I wanted to experience at the museum was the lion dance performance. Having experienced my first lion dance performance just the year prior, I wanted to relive that electrifying feeling again.

While the program was sadly so unorganized, the performance itself was so much fun to experience. At this time, having just left LA for this residency as the fires were erupting, I wanted to bring back some good fortune and cast off any lingering bad energy before returning to LA.

🐍 I hope everyone is feeling the energy of rebirth and renewal as we all finish shedding our skin from the year of the wood snake. Now, as we enter the year of the fire horse, I wish everyone a happy Chinese New Year, Tết, and Seollal!

Fun fact: I was born in the year of the horse (in the 1900s)! The horse is known for being strong, independent & anti-authoritarian by nature. May we all channel our big fire horse energy this year as we dream of a future where authority & hierarchies no longer exist. ❤️‍🔥🐎

Shout out LionDanceME for their high-energy performance! Here's some photos of their performance from last year.

Photographs were created with my Nikon ZF & a 24-70mm lens.

Click any image below to enlarge.

Additional photos & research from the rest of my residency are forthcoming & will be tagged under ARROZidency.

Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram, subscribe to my YouTube channel, or subscribe to my newsletter for updates on my blog posts, projects, or upcoming programs.

If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.

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Art in & around San Francisco

2/14/2026

For the full extended roundup of my research during my residency, visit:

ARROZidency

My month in San Francisco for my ARROZidency was surrounded by art and creatives. I felt/feel incredibly fortunate & grateful for the experience, because I got to meet so many artists, as well as reconnect with artists & friends I hadn't seen in real life for a number of years. It was amazing to feel like I was immersed in a community of creatives again, & also have access to art everywhere. From my residency studio, its facilities & all the people who work there, to the galleries just across the street, to even the temp sublet I was renting in Nob Hill.

Of course, while spending my time getting creative & connecting with other artists, I also got to experience some exhibitions & soak up some inspiration that way. Here's a few shows I got to check out in-person!

Photographs were created with my Nikon ZF & a 24-70mm lens.

Click any image below to enlarge.

Spirit House at Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University

My residency host invited me, another artist at the studio (who was also a former AIR) & his spouse to check out the last few days of Spirit House at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University. You can check out a virtual tour of the program on their website. I appreciate that some institutions & arts spaces still offer this accessibility option for the many reasons some cannot make it to art exhibitions in-person. I also did not photograph every single work, just a few of my favorites. So definitely head over to their website to view the full exhibition of works & to learn more!

The artwork themselves were phenomenal, the collection was a great choice, & the placement of everything was very thoughtful. I have no notes or edits on the layout, selection, or the artwork at all. I just have a lot to say about exhibitions like these. However, I'm not an art critic, so I'm saving that discourse for real life conversations. If you know me, you already know how I feel about it. ;)

Stephanie H. Shih
Offering (Ash Tower), 2023
ceramic and steel

Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya
What Remains, 2024
rice boxes, paint, rice, rebar, wood, cast hands, beads, thread, rope, wire, and textile

right:
Cathy Lu
Banana Tree, 2023
ceramic and joss sticks

left:
Reagan Louie
Window, San Francisco, Chinatown, 2005
archival pigment print
edition 2 of 5

I might be biased, because I love photography (obviously) & didn't see a lot of of it in the exhibition, but Louie's photo was probably my favorite piece in the show. Not necessarily because it was a photograph, but the simplicity of a still life photo down to the smaller scale of the piece compared to the (sometimes) overwhelming size of everything else managed to say a lot. Sometimes less is more, & this piece truly embodied that for me. This was a peak into someone's world, something that was relatable for me in just this one small photo. I'm not Chinese, but it's something about the clutter and maximalism of a small space that speaks to the universal experience of growing up in a small immigrant household.

Nina Molloy
Shrine, 2021–2022
oil on canvas

Tuan Andrew Nguyen
Nothing Is Ever Lost, Nothing Ever Gained, 2022
brass from artillery shells, mounted on black stainless steel

Nothing Ever Dies, 2022
singing bowl pounded from 122 mm brass artillery shell, tuned to note G at 410 Hz

Tidawhitney Lek
Refuge, 2023
acrylic, pastel, and oil on canvas

Dinh Q. Lê
Cambodia Reamker #29, 2022
Epson inkjet print on Epson double-weight matte paper, acid-free double-sided tape, and PH-neutral linen book tape

Maia Cruz Palileo
Big Lolo, Little Lolo, 2021
wood, milk paint, table

Korakrit Arunanondchai
Shore of Security, 2022
repurposed wooden dollhouse made by the artist's mother, wood, house paint polyurethane, fabric sculpture, ceramics snake skeleton, and LED lights

Namita Paul
Testimony, 2023
canvas and gifted textiles, thread, gold leaf, gold spray paint, lentils, wheat berries, and photo transfer

I don't think these tapestries were technically part of the exhibition? There seems to be no clickable description about them in the virtual tour — so, unsure!

Friend & residency co-host Malou with her baby girl, Habibi!

Oscar yi Hou
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, aka: Bushwick Bleeding Hearts Club, 2022
oil and gouache on canvas

Cian Dayrit's LibertIEs Were Taken at Root Division

I got to check out Cian Dayrit's solo exhibition Liberties Were Taken at Root Division during SF Art Week, a week-long celebrations of San Francisco's art scene that takes place across multiple galleries and creative spaces. I attended a curator-led walkthrough of the exhibition that was very informative, & the curator was a very professional presenter, making it was clear they did a lot of research and studying for this exhibition. Also got to meet a rad fellow photographer, Hunter, who works at the gallery & took this photo of me in action, haha!

Here were some of my fav pieces from the show. While I did enjoy the Spirit House exhibition a lot, I have to say I liked this one more. And not because the artist is Filipino, but I appreciate smaller community art spaces like these more over large institutions.

Minnesota Street Project's Dark Matter for SF Art Week 2025

Last but not least, I got to check out Dark Matter presented by The Space Program at Minnesota Street Project for SF Art Week, one of the main events of the week.

I was very lucky to have been located so close to this event, with the studios being just across the street. One of the artists at the studio whom I'd gotten to know over the month also had work part of this program. I also learnt this night, that the owner of Re.riddle (one of the gallery spaces at Minnesota Street Project) was also the curator of the exhibition I got to see at Edge on the Square! It was really amazing in the end how all my experiences connected with each other.

Below are a few of my fav pieces from Dark Matter, but here is a full list of works if you'd like you see what else was shown. Some of the work below was not part of the Dark Matter program, but from exhibitions at one of the galleries that were open during the opening night — so make sure to check out that image list for accuracy!

Maria A. Guzmán Capron and Seth Capron
Lap Chair
powder coated aluminum
19"x55"x55"
2025

Ben Venom
Night Flyers, 2024
hand-made quilt with fabric
39” x 51”

Rachelle Reichert
Wildfires, 2024
San Francisco Bay salt, redwood ashes from California wildfires, and mixed media on panel
48" x 48.5"

Jud Bergeron
Layered #1-4, 2024
ink and copper leaf on paper
33" x 25"

left:
Richard Colman
Untitled (Aluminum Leaf), 2024
20” x 23”
silkscreen, acrylic and aluminum leaf on paper

right:
Untitled (Gold Leaf), 2024
20” x 23”
silkscreen, acrylic and gold leaf on paper

Demetri Broxton
Just Beyond the Waters, 2025
sequins, glass and wood beads, rayon tassels, silver, quartz,
and cowrie shells on sateen cotton, linen, wool, and birch
21" x 38"

Andy Diaz Hope
Future Memory: Juniper, 2023
17" x 26" unframed
digital and physical collage, silkscreen, and photography on paper

left:
Oliver Hawk Holden
Watermelon inflatable in solidarity with Palestine, 2023
Ripstop nylon, HVAC fan, plywood, and sheet metal
8' x 8' x 16'

top right:
Jay Howell
22” x 24”
Untitled, 2024
5 color silkscreen

bottom right painting:
Yarrow Slaps
Castles burn and new grounds rise, 2024
12" x 12"
acrylic on canvas

bottom right sculptures:
Yarrow Slaps
Star Lady Plant Head and King Bruh Bruh w the glasses, 2024
ceramic

Charlene Tan
Kumot ng Bata, a Homage. 2024
silver leaf, abalone, capiz, cowrie shell, airport reflective glass beads, micro beads, paint, glue, and digital print on aluminum panel
54” x 72”

Gianluca Franzese
Arteries of the Earth, 2024
aluminum leaf, silver leaf, copper leaf, 12k white gold leaf, 18k and 22k gold leaf with acrylic glazes on panel
48 x 60.75"

Mildred Howard's Bottle Houses at Anglim/Trimble.

Kira Dominguez Hultgren’s Our daily parenthetical at Eleanor Harwood Gallery.

Works from Rena Bransten Gallery's Summoning group exhibition.

left:
Lava Thomas
I Walk in the Light of My Ancestors' Prayers, 2024
altered tambourines, acrylic marker on metallic leather, mirrored acrylic disks, grosgrain ribbon
59.5" x 115.25" x 2"

right:
Viviana Paredes
Everywhere / nowhere, 2018
cast glass, ceramic beads, steel plate
sculpture: 6" x 13" x 10"
steel plate: 15" x 13" x 0.25"

A final post & conclusion of my photos & research from my residency are forthcoming & will be tagged under ARROZidency.

Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram, subscribe to my YouTube channel, or subscribe to my newsletter for updates on my blog posts, projects, or upcoming programs.

If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.

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ARROZidency Research: Mission San Francisco de Asis & Mission Dolores Basilica

2/5/2026

For the full extended roundup of my research during my residency, visit:

A place I really wanted to visit during my time in the Bay was the San Francisco Mission, which I had just learnt was actually split into 2 different structures, including the Mission San Francicso de Asis & then Mission Dolores.

For anyone new here, I'm not religious, Catholic or Christian. However, I am interested in the history of the California Missions, because I'm interested in the parallels between the Natives of so-called California & the Natives of the so-called Philippines.

Strange, but one of my life goals is to someday visit all 21 California Missions. I've only visited 4. 😅

Anyways, as someone part of the Ilokano/Filipino-Californian diaspora, I'm interested in the parallels between our histories because we share the same colonisers — Spain & the so-called United States of America — with both still having a traumatic chokehold on our cultures. Whenever I visit a church in the Philippines, my first thought is, "This feels like I'm in California." And when I visit a church in California, I find myself thinking the reverse: "I feel like I'm in the Philippines." It's these feelings that lead me to believe that the Californian diasporic experience is particularly unique among Filipinos.

[ For some quick comparisons, check out my more recent photos of the church in San Juan, La Union, where my father was baptised in the 1930s & where we had his mass before his internment; the Namacpacan church in Luna, La Union; & the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu, where I started my research for this residency. ]

The Mission in San Francisco is the oldest structure in the city & it also houses the oldest & only cemetery within the city limits. This was particularly interesting for me, because while I haven't been to many CA Missions yet, this is the only one I've been to (so far?) with a cemetery. I'll share more history on the cemetery below.

Starting with some exterior views of the Mission San Francisco de Asis, moving into the interior, to the cemetery, and to the interior of the Mission Dolores Basilica.

Photographs were created with my Nikon ZF & a 24-70mm lens.

Click any image below to enlarge.

Mission San Francisco de Asis Exterior

Mission San Francisco de Asis Interior

St. Joseph's Altar (1810). Anonymous. wood, gold leaf, oil paint.
Left to right: St. John of Capistrano, Saint Joseph, St. Bonaventure.

St. Anthony's Altar (1810). Anonymous. wood, gold leaf, oil paint.
Left to right: St. Pascual of Baylón, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Francis of Solano.

Reredos, Main Altar (1797). Anonymous. wood, gold leaf, oil paint.

According to church signage:

The reredos was crafted in Mexico and brought to the mission in 1797.

Clockwise from top left: St. Francis of Assisi in ecstasy. St. Joachim, father of Mary. St. Michael the Archangel. St. Clare of Assisi, founder of the order known as the Poor Clares. St. Francis of Assisi with the stigmata. St. Anne, mother of Mary. Crucifix. Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception. Tabernacle.

After a quick search, I learnt that a reredos is a type of altarpiece.

According to Britannica:

altarpiece, work of art that decorates the space above and behind the altar in a Christian church. Painting, relief, and sculpture in the round have all been used in altarpieces, either alone or in combination. These artworks usually depict holy personages, saints, and biblical subjects.

Several technical terms are associated with altarpieces. The predella is a low, decorated strip intended to raise the main part of the altarpiece to a height where it is readily visible from a distance. A diptych is an altarpiece consisting of two painted panels, a triptych has three panels, and a polyptych has four or more panels. A winged altarpiece is one equipped with movable wings that can be opened or closed over a fixed central part, thereby allowing various representations to be exposed to view. The term reredos is used for an ornamental screen or partition that is not directly attached to the altar table but is affixed to the wall behind it. The term retable simply refers to any ornamental panel behind an altar.

Ceiling.

MISSION INNER-EXTERIOR + CEMETERY

Pictured right is the Mission museum, which houses a fair amount of Native crafts & artifacts from the Ohlone people. To be honest, I didn't want to take photos of any of it. 😕

Ceramic mosaic mural by San Francisco artist, Guillermo Granizo (1923-1996). According to Granizo, "In the garden of the mission is a mural of the Spanish Ship "San Carlos" that was sent by the Spaniards to the Pueblo San Francisco to sponsor and colonize the area."

Mission Dolores Cemetery

For centuries, the Native Raymatush Ohlone inhabited the peninsula. Near the Mission was once the Chutchui village, where Franciscan monks later decided to build the Mission.

While the church interiors were interesting to me, I was particularly drawn to the cemetery because it was my first time seeing one at one of the CA Missions. And it wasn't just interesting to me because I love gothic aesthetics! It actually has a disturbing & dark history (no pun intended).

Interred at this cemetery are around 5,000 Native Ohlone people. Sources say that they supposedly died due to bad weather & diseases brought from Europe. Somehow, I have a feeling the "bad weather" reason is a crock of shit. We all know by now that genocide of Native people via disease & illnesses is nothing new, especially now as we are witnessing the genocide of the Palestinian people, whom the Israeli government has blocked from receiving life-saving COVID-19 vaccines.

There's also no way I counted 5,000 headstones at this cemetery, so they were likely buried together in an unmarked mass grave. Like all the other CA Missions, this one was no different. It was built by the forced labor of CA Natives, who were called "Indios" & violently forced to convert to Catholicism & adopt a Spanish name — just like the Natives of the so-called Philippines.

Statue of St. Francis of Assisi.

What I find particularly resonant is the work of Ohlone descendants to honor their ancestors, who were wrongfully killed by Spanish colonisers on this property and buried here. In 2001, members of their community built this Ohlone tule hut as a lasting memorial to them.

I hope one day this statue of Junipero Serra is toppled, too. 😤

Also at this cemetery is a statue of Kateri Tekakwitha, who apparently was a Native Mohawk woman from New York who converted to Catholicism & later became a saint. Beneath her statue reads "In prayerful memory of our faithful Indians." Some believe she was placed in the cemetery to ease animosity between the Natives & the Mission, & to serve as a marker for those unnamed.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find who this statue is of. 😅 If you happen to know, please feel free to drop a comment! I did love the juxtaposition of the statue with the green & the orange cone, so I decided to keep these in color.

Mission Dolores Basilica

While the Mission San Francisco de Asis was founded in 1776 (technically JUST before the United States was established as a country!), the Mission Dolores Basilica was built 100 years after in 1876.

I don't know what more to say about this basilica, other than the fact that it reminds me of churches in the Philippines. 😅 This was the last space I visited at the Mission site. I didn't get any photos of the ceiling mural, but make sure to look up if you visit. While the small Mission church certainly had its own charm, the basically was epic in comparison.

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Venerating an icon: Santo Niño in Contemporary Philippines & the Diaspora (Part 2.3 of 3)

1/22/2026

This is the last section of the second part of my VENERATING AN ICON documentary photo essay. If you are starting here, I recommend scrolling to the bottom of this series & starting from part 1.

In case you missed it, I've split up the work from my residency into 2 separate tags:

For my main residency project only, visit:

For an extended roundup of my research during my residency, visit:

For this project, I was really excited to go back to my documentary photo roots. In my earlier photo work, I focused on documenting multicultural communities, sometimes with a special focus on their spiritual practices. I've documented many communities from Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism, Khmer Buddhism, Krishna Consciousness, to precolonial ritualistic practices of Mesoamerica, to Native American pow wows. Religion and spirituality weren’t central to my upbringing, but it was always present. Though I wasn’t raised Catholic, I was excited to document a community tied to my culture & the history of the Philippines. There's some major reasons why my parents decided not to raise me religious, which was a bold move for immigrant parents of their generation, but I'm grateful for that choice they made in raising me. Their choice allowed me to deepen my curiosity for diverse spiritual practices & led me to discover, study & practice my own spiritual & metaphysical beliefs in my day-to-day life & art.

Anyways, a lot has changed since my early documentary photo days. I first started off shooting strictly black & white film. I eventually started shooting color film once I lost access to a lab & discovered color film was cheaper to process. A couple of years ago I decided to expand my toolkit and purchased a digital camera for the first time, which I've enjoyed practicing & playing with.

I recently took an advanced lighting class & hoped to expand my toolkit even further. One thing I can say for sure is that these are some of the hardest photos I've ever edited. The church banquet hall had all sorts of different tinted overhead lightbulbs. I had to do so much masking to color correct different parts of the room in these photos, which was a time-consuming challenge on top of not compromising the high saturation aesthetic I go for in my color work.

All this to say, after taking this lighting class, I have a new appreciation for using flash & wonder if this could have been remedied had I brought my flash with me this time? Flash still intimidated me at that time, & after taking this class, I hope I can apply the skills I've learnt to continue documenting cultural events like these & producing the best images I can each time. I'm trying not to be scared of flash anymore!

Check out the photos & let me know what you would have done differently!

Images were photographed using my Nikon ZF & 24-70mm lens.

Click on an image below to enlarge. I recommend viewing from a computer for the full experience.

Even more people brought their Santo Niños this time & it was so cute seeing the diverse kinds that people owned! Some titas even shared interesting stories with me about how they came to own their Santo Niños. One tita told me she allegedly rescued her Santo Niño from the trash. 🤣 She legit told me this. Y'all think she was telling the truth or was she lying at church?

This is where all the titas got up & started dancing with their Santo Niños! France on the right with the sheer shawl dancing with the Santo Niño I brought from Cebu. 🕺🏻

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Venerating an icon: Santo Niño in Contemporary Philippines & the Diaspora (Part 2.2 of 3)

1/22/2026

The second part of this 3-part series is split into 3 sections, as it's quite long. If you are starting here, I recommend scrolling to the bottom of this series & starting from part 1.

Because these blog posts cannot support video embeds if there is a lot of media content, here is a short video from my YouTube channel that documents part of the Sinulog performance at the second Santo Niño Fiesta we attended. It was so cute seeing the titas get up & dance with their Santo Niños! The last part will have photos of the performance, but it just hits different watching the movements & hearing the sounds of the music & singing.

Video was filmed on my iPhone.

And again, in case you missed it, I've split up the work from my residency into 2 separate tags:

For my main residency project only, visit:

For an extended roundup of my research during my residency, visit:

2.3 will be the last section of part 2 of my main residency project series!

Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram, subscribe to my YouTube channel, or subscribe to my newsletter for updates on my blog posts, projects, or upcoming programs.

If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.

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Venerating an icon: Santo Niño in Contemporary Philippines & the Diaspora (Part 2.1 of 3)

1/22/2026

The second part of this 2-part series will, in itself, be split into 3 sections, as it's quite long. If you are starting here, I recommend scrolling to the bottom of this series & starting from part 1.

And, in case you missed it, I've split up the work from my residency into 2 separate tags:

For my main residency project only, visit:

For an extended roundup of my research during my residency, visit:

The second Santo Niño Fiesta we visited was at Saint Augustine Catholic Church in South San Francisco (which is its own city separate from the City of San Francisco). SSF is the city next to San Bruno, where the first fiesta took place. It is also adjacent to Daly City, where a large FilAm community resides.

South San Francisco was just a BART ride away from where I was staying in San Francisco proper. While the interior architecture of this church wasn't as interesting as the first church, there was a lot more to look at within the exterior church complex itself. It reminded me a lot of the churches I've visited in the Philippines. The church was also a lot more spacious, with more room for the Sinulog performance later on. I'll share those photos in parts 2.2-2.3!

This event was similar to the last one, where they had a procession for the Santo Niño, Mass, & people brought their own Santo Niños to be blessed. It was actually very exciting to see more people bring their images, & to see the many diverse kinds!

Images were photographed using my Nikon ZF & 24-70mm lens.

Click on an image below to enlarge. I recommend viewing from a computer for the full experience.

Sections 2.2 & 2.3 of part 2 are forthcoming, which will contain both photo & video!

Make sure to keep checking this space, follow me on Instagram, subscribe to my YouTube channel, or subscribe to my newsletter for updates on my blog posts, projects, or upcoming programs.

If you've read this far, thank you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or any questions in the comments.

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CollaboratiON with Vanessa Briones

2/21/2025

Another piece where the scan does the colors no justice!

This untitled multimedia piece, consisting of goache on a digital photo print, is a collaboration between me & fellow Filipina-American artist, Vanessa Briones. Vanessa & I have been good friends & collaborators for the last 7 years, & I felt so lucky I got to spend a lot of quality time with her again during my recent residency in San Francisco. It was nice to co-work adjacent to her at my SF studio space!

This idea, where I ask other artists to paint their vision in their style over my photo prints, is something I've thought of doing for years. Not only did I get to spend more than one day with Vanessa, I am honored she got to be the first to attempt this experimentation with me.

The photo is of Namacpacan Church in Luna, La Union, which you can read about its lore & history in my blog post Return Call Part 3.

This collaborative idea is something I hope I can develop into a series & get more artists involved in. Leave a comment or hit up my email if you're interested in attempting this with me!

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First risograph prints ever!

2/13/2025