Bren Bataclan has a new book: Fe: A Traumatized Son’s Graphic Memoir released by Philippine American Writers and Artists in February 2021.

Bren is a Boston-based artist. He was born in the Philippines and grew up in Daly City/Bay Area, CA. In the early 2000s, Bren began giving away paintings in public spaces with a note saying, "This painting is yours if you promise to smile at random people more often." Since then, he has given away over 3,000 paintings in close to 80 different countries and to all 50 states in the U.S.      

His projects have also been featured in the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, The Smithsonian Magazine, The Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Detroit Free Press, The San Francisco Chronicle and most recently, PRI's The World.

Learn more about Bren

Jeff Quintano published Baybayin, A Primer on Reading and Writing Baybayin consisting of worksheets, vocabulary, and coloring book in Tagalog and in English.

Jeff was born into an emerging backdrop of Western values in the Philippines. It was through the lens of this transition that he grew mindful of the necessity to preserve and share the tradition of his culture.  

After receiving a degree in the arts from University of Santo Tomas, Jeff immersed himself in a nomadic tattooing lifestyle. Over nearly a decade traversing Manila, Singapore, and Malaysia, to New York and California, he has truly solidified himself as a distinct force in the modern Filipino tribal design and tattoo world.

The Hinabi Project’s Festival of Philippine Textile Arts exhibit was scheduled to be shown in 2021, but due to the global pandemic, it had to be postponed. Fortunately, it has been rescheduled for January 14-20, 2022 at the historic San Francisco Mint on 5th Street and Mission. The exhibit will feature displays of the finest examples of fabric by contemporary master weavers from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao as well as examples of antique and vintage textiles. In conjunction with the textile exhibit, art installations will feature local artists and their interpretation of textiles and culture. There will be a marketplace for display and sale of quality products made by Philippine artisans. A highlight of the Festival is a Wearable Art show designed by Anthony Cruz Legarda.

Mel immigrated from the Philippines in 1995 at age 31 and was a 9-year veteran in the advertising industry before moving here to the US. A Fine Arts graduate of University of Santo Tomas, Mel’s first love was painting but got directed to commercial art by following his older brother’s advice which gave him a different experience and perspective. He was drawing before he could write and continued doing what he was passionate about in between his duties at his day jobs and as a family man. Mel currently works as a Graphic Designer for the California Department of Transportation and does Tattoos on the side at his home in Union City, CA.

Christina Buhain Newhard is a designer, writer, and cat servant. A love for text, image, and story moved her to pursue a career in graphic design, and she now runs her own studio, Newhard Design. Her past clients have included Columbia University, NYU, Flickerlab, Penguin Random House, and The "me too." Movement. She is also the founder of Sari-Sari Storybooks, which celebrates the magic and diversity of Filipino storytelling through publishing bilingual picture books. She hails from Manila, Florida, New York City, and Oakland, and is most at home in a city by the water.

Paul Mariano was born in the Philippines, immigrated to the Bay Area in 1992 and currently lives in San Francisco. His work has been featured in publications, art exhibitions, and businesses throughout Asia and the Americas. He is also an active volunteer photographer for many community organizations in the San Francisco area.

The majority of his work focuses on photography and photo documentary.

Capturing the emotion and soul of the subject is a common theme throughout his work. Brought up in two cultures, the Philippines and the USA, and residing in a multi-ethnic city inspired him to capture and document the unique cultures around the world.

He is also currently a registered nurse serving the San Francisco community and in the front lines throughout the pandemic.

Avelene “Abby” Jacobs was born in Japan to Filipino parents and raised in America, I have always been a blend of many cultures.

As a retired nurse, I believe art, in its many forms, is HEALING. For years, I explored various artistic mediums and styles until I discovered my passion: The ancient form of Chinese water color and sumi ink on rice paper. I’ve felt honored to learn this ancient technique, passed down directly from master to master for over 2000 years, under an accomplished Chinese artist and master of the craft. The technique requires deep mindfulness and love throughout the process as, due to the delicacy of the materials, even a single fallen drop of water can easily ruin the entire piece. Because of this, each piece can often take as long as 6 weeks, but the result captures the deep reverence that the artist has for the subject.

After mastering the form, part of my joy has been to now add my own unique essence. Blending the ancient style and my modern perspective into a new fusion that captures the reverence for life of the ancient tradition with a pulsing aliveness that is totally modern. Each of my Chinese watercolor paintings are uniquely signed with my Chinese name and some “chops”, symbols which translate into phrases that express my essence such as “art heals” & “Fusion – take from Chinese and add western influence”. I hope you enjoy.

In travels, and during random serene moments, I also enjoy photography of different subject matters, having the occasional eye-catching photo converted to canvas.

Sicat is an independent filmmaker and comic book creator with numerous features as a Director, Writer, and/or Producer including award-winners Rigodon, Ka Oryang, The Guerrilla is a Poet, Woman of the Ruins, and Alimuom, the films ranging from documentaries and historical dramas to science fiction. He was the story consult for the first 3D computer generated feature film RPG:Metanoia and also served as Head of Development for the first Tagalog language Japanese animé co-production “Barangay 143” with TV Asahi that is currently on NETFLIX. His comic book series OFW: OUTERSPACE FILIPINO WORKERS is available on PENLAB.

The goal of Bayani Art is to strengthen the unity within our community by telling the rich history of our Motherland. We are independent owned, born in Tondo Manila, Philippines and raised in Oakland, California. Humbled by the strong values that were taught by our elders, we remain conscious to our responsibility to carry on our culture. The concept of Bayani started as our way to promote our creative skills and talents, and to bring our artwork and crafts to you. In supporting Bayani Art and its artists, you are a part of honoring our history and continuing the representation of Filipinos throughout the world. Portion of the proceeds of online sales help support a non-profit organizations for Filipino youth, Mabuhay.

We at Youth Programs at MHC plan on hosting an art showcase for our community and hopefully showcasing this art during the virtual parade. Our plan is for community members to submit their work with our theme title of "Kulay ng Pag-asa" as a way to show the importance of art in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the BLM movement.