Kuhlein Migue
Kuhlein Migue is an artist currently based in Calgary. Drawing on post-colonial theory, diaspora studies, and Filipino art history, her works explore how spaces of belonging are reimagined in response to historical and contemporary practices that categorize racialized individuals as the “other.” These themes are materialized through painting, drawing, and woven structured inspired by Philippine textiles. She has shown her work in solo and group exhibitions notably at the Nickle Galleries, The New Gallery, artsPlace Canmore, and the Alberta Society of Artists gallery. Migue holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Calgary.
This painting is part of a triptych that explores the broader implications of colonialism in shaping global histories and contemporary experiences. “Lantana Camara (to serve your captives’ needs” is a recontextualization of Fernando Amorsolo’s “Dalagang Bukid” – a figure that often appears in the artist’s romanticized portrayal of rural life. Departing from Amorsolo’s idyllic scenes, this painting reimagines the “Dalagang Bukid” in an overgrown landscape filled with a sense of threat, apprehension, and confinement. The invasive plant species depicted, “Lantana Camara,” was introduced through Spanish and American empire-building in the Philippines. I use these plants in these paintings as symbolic representations for the widespread effects of colonialism that persist and shape the lived experiences and identities of Filipinos. In addition to referencing Amorsolo’s paintings, I situate the series of paintings in history through their titles which include lines from the poem White Man’s Burden. This poem, published by Rudyard Kipling in 1899, urged the United States (with special reference to the Philippines) to join Britain in the pursuit of the racial responsibilities of empire.
