VMF Special Projects: Collingwood's Balikbayan Box
A few months ago the VMF Special Projects team brought in visual artist and muralist Kris Abrigo from the Philippines to transform a wall on the Cassandra Hotel at 3075 Kingsway. This mural is made in recognition of the Filipinos community living in the Collingwood area.
The main image is a collage of landscapes from the Philippines and Canada that symbolizes the mix of culture between these two countries. On the lower part of the mural is a Balikbayan Box, which literally means “return to country.” 1 in 10 Filipinos (10 million people) are living away from home and these boxes are what folks use to send items back to their families. In Abrigio’s words, the box is quintessential part of being a Filipino migrant and a “contemporary symbol of a modern Filipino overseas worker.” The trees signify diversity, each having it’s own roots but are connected and growing together, ultimately representing Vancouver and it’s diversity.
This beautiful mural was commissioned by the Collingwood Business Improvement Association as part of VMF’s Special Projects division.
Kris Abrigo is a visual artist and a muralist. After studying at the College of Fine Arts, University of the Philippines Diliman, he established his own art studio and started a career in visual arts. His work has gained much visibility over the years from creating murals for commercial and residential spaces to crafting design sculptures as collaborations with furniture and lifestyle shops. He had a handful of group art shows and 9 solo shows. Abrigo also did live art performances for music/art festivals, local art fairs, and international mural festivals. Rendered in both pastel and bright colours with acute precision on canvas or on walls, his works suggest a core sample of the new wave of urban artists around the world.
