My studio practice has formed around painting a relationship into existence between my family history from the Philippines and my upbringing in rural Nebraska. As a second-generation immigrant living in the rural Midwest I've experienced an enormous disconnect from my Filipino heritage. My work is an exploration of heritage, ancestry, distant places and the removal from and/or disconnection that occurs from growing up in rural America. Most recently my work centers on my Grandmothers stories of World War II in the Philippines. I am focusing on creating imagery that relates to her stories and creates links between the two cultures, times, and identities.