Project Advisors
Tessa Maria Guazon
Curatorial Advisor
Tessa Maria Guazon is a writer, contemporary art curator and educator based in Manila, the Philippines. Tessa Maria Guazon’s research and curatorial projects center on contemporary art practices in urban contexts, considering the pragmatic possibilities inherent to art in engaging the public sphere. She has received fellowships for research and fieldwork in Southeast Asia and has lived in Thailand and Indonesia (the Asian Public Intellectuals Fellowship and SEASREP), Singapore (the Asia Research Institute National University of Singapore and the National Gallery Singapore) and Japan (Fukuoka Asian Art Museum).
Szusza Anne Velasco
Advisor, UP Asterisk
Szusza Velasco is currently an Assistant Professor under the Department of Art Studies at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. She obtained her MA in International Studies at the UP Department of Political Science, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art Studies (Interdisciplinary) at the same university. Previously she was a Program Coordinator at the Japan Foundation, Manila, working on arts and cultural exchange initiatives by the Japan Foundation Asia Center. Her research interests include international relations, cultural studies, popular culture, and participatory media.
Project Team
Cesna Anida
Cesna is a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences, Major in History and Minor in Psychology, graduate from the University of the Philippines Baguio. Currently, she is taking her MA in Art Studies – Curatorial Studies at the University of the Philippines Diliman as a way of pursuing her passion for the arts. Cesna loves to work with creative people. She is an avid reader and casual scribbler of words; she recently discovered that she’s at most peace when writing. You can currently find her inside the walled city of Manila, Intramuros.
Vanessa Garcia
V is an undergraduate student at the University of the Philippines Diliman undertaking a Bachelor of Arts in Art Studies – Interdisciplinary. She is the website developer and of the project website and virtual atlas. Her area of future practice is the nexus of art, technology, and culture and heritage management; with a keen focus on identity and diaspora. She is a member of AScend: The Official Volunteer Corps of the Department of Art Studies, College of Arts and Letters, UP Diliman and the Google Developer Student Clubs UP Diliman Chapter. Her other projects include developing tech solutions for arts & culture projects and a social impact start-up that develops mobile apps for marginalized communities.
Princess Hernandez
Princess is a Bachelor of Secondary Education,Major in Social Science graduate from Eastern Quezon College Inc. in Gumaca, Quezon Province. She is currently a Collections Assistant at Nayong Pilipino Foundation. She is a former Museum Curator and Cultural Researcher, and now the NHCP-LHCN Representative of Museo ng Gumaca in Quezon Province. She is a member of Quezon Province Heritage Council Inc, Lopez Heritage Conservation, Kalipunan ng Lahing Makasaysayan (KALILAYAN), and Asosasyon ng mga Dalubahasa at may-Hilig sa Kasaysayan (ADHIKA) ng Pilipinas, Inc. Currently, she is a Master of Arts in Art Studies, Curatorial Studies student at the Department of Art Studies, College of Arts and Letters, UP Diliman. Her research interests include the Philippine Ethno-Linguistic Group, Philippine Cultural History, Local History, and Arts, Crafts and Dances.
Rachel Siringan
Rachel is a Bachelor of Arts in Art Studies major with an Interdisciplinary in Family Life and Child Development (FLCD) at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. She is interested in children’s art, dance and performance, education, and community engagement. She is also a member of the Kontemporaryo Gamelan Pilipino or Kontra-GaPi, a resident ensemble performing ethnic-inspired music and dance pieces of the College of Arts and Letters and the Commission on Human Rights.
Bernmina Tarnate
Bernmina is a student of the University of the Philippines Diliman, currently taking the Interdisciplinary track of the Bachelor of Arts in Art Studies program, with a major in Political Science. She is a member of UP Volunteers for Children, an organization that aims to provide support services to Filipino children and families with the hope of making children well-adjusted, healthy, and secure. She is currently working as a freelance writer for online platforms.