Demonstration of Baybayin : A pre-colonial Filipino Writing System

Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library and Kultivation Festival are pleased to invite you to a demonstration of a pre-colonial Filipino writing system called Baybayin, facilitated by local Filipinx artist Ally Gonzalo!

Ally is a queer, Filipinx settler in Treaty 1 Territory and has been here since the summer of 2016. A graduate of History and Political Science from the University of the Philippines, as well as a valedictorian of PrairieView School of Photography, Ally’s work revolves around exploring the idea of queer Filipinx History and Diaspora by way of portraits and documentary photography. Ally’s work relies on the vulnerability and honesty of their subjects, which they are able to accomplish through various trust exercises throughout his shoots.

Acknowledgement of the power relationship between the subject and the photographer allows Ally to get closer to his clients as they let their guards down while he photographs them. This is what lets them tailor each portrait sitting and genuinely connect with their subjects.

Ally’s most recent work was their very first public art installation commissioned by Culture Days Manitoba for Nuit Blanche Winnipeg 2023.

Called “Mailiw” which is Pangasinan for homesick, it is a tribute to my fellow Filipino/a/x immigrants who desire to go back to our motherland but can’t do so for many reasons, most of the times being tied to money or lack thereof. It is a 3-dimensional representation of the flag of the Philippines in its symbolic colors and quantities.
They continue to expand upon this body of work by slowly getting to know the members of the Filipinx community through their portrait work. By day, Ally works at a local camera store; they have also been freelancing for about a decade now.

Some of the clients/organizations they worked for are GreenPeace Philippines, Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Philippines), Boniface, Yes We Mystic, Pride Winnipeg, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Synonym Art Consultation, Gorge Festival, The Tallest Poppy, The Forks, and CBC Arts to name a few.