ISUGID PINOY!
MYTHIC WARRIORS OF SOMA PILIPINAS
October 5 - January 23, 2019
Opening Reception
Saturday, October 5 | 4:00 PM
Isugid Pinoy! (ee-soo-ghid), is “tell it Pilipino!” in the Philippine Bisayan language. Presented by Kularts, the premiere presenter of contemporary and tribal Pilipinx art in the United States, Isugid Pinoy! is a graphic storytelling project led by visual artists Don Aguillo and Rafael “Raf” Salazar in partnership with members of the SOMA Pilipinas community to reflect and celebrate the diversity of the Pilipino American experience.
Isugid Pinoy!: Mythic Warriors of SOMA Pilipinas will be their first major exhibition of Isugid Pinoy! comic book art on the third floor of the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library from October 5, 2019 to January 23, 2020. Featuring large scale renditions and specially laid out panels of comic book art, the exhibition’s opening reception on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at 4 p.m. includes a ritual performance of sagayan, an indigenous dance of Maguindanao and Maranao people in the Philippines, led by Aguillo and Salazar, followed by an artist talk and merienda. The exhibition is free and open to the public during library hours.
“Filipinos have a rich immigrant history in San Francisco. The stories about the Filipino immigrant’s challenges, struggles and perseverance to find opportunities for themselves and their families is the history of future generations of Filipinos in the U.S. This is their history. They should know, claim and celebrate SOMA Pilipinas.”
Explore the creation and process of Isugid Pinoy!
EXHIBITION PREVIEW
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Rafael ‘Raf"‘ Salazar is a Bay Area artist, who by day focuses his talents in illustration and design, and by night perched on rooftops as this city’s ally of justice. Taking his passion for comics he decided to get off the sidelines and started making his own. Alongside his brother they started their webcomic ReGrBl back in 2009. He has since joined up with like-minded individuals to form In Hiatus Studios to continue to create comics. When not working he spends his time researching new ideas by playing video games, getting lost in comic wiki pages, and watching too many cartoons.
Don Aguillo is a Bay Area freelance illustrator and designer, with a focus on the comic medium. As well as co-creator of the Isugid Pinoy! universe with Kularts, he is the creator of ongoing series Rise with Scout Comics and artist on Winter through In Hiatus Studios, the publishing company he co-founded with partners Raf Salazar (ReGrBl, Isugid Pinoy, PuG) and Kim Moss (Winter, In Place of Honor). He is a touring member of Parangal Dance Company and Martial Arts Instructor in San Francisco and an East Coast transplant with a BFA from Penn State University and is a regular in the comic convention circuit. He enjoys being a part of the SoMa network of creatives and is excited to continue work promoting the development of the Filipino Cultural Heritage District through telling the stories of its movers and shakers.