Interdisciplinary Artist, Cultural Organizer, Designer, PhD Student
Reyes is currently pursuing a PhD in Social Welfare at The City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center. Her past experience in humanitarianism — particularly her research in the Philippines, exploring the intersections of education, armed conflict, climate disasters, and community resilience —informs her study. Her doctoral studies aim to critically examine alternative approaches to paternalistic humanitarianism via diaspora engagement in humanitarian assistance, development, and transnational care systems. She is a 2023-2024 SUNY/CUNY Southeast Asia Consortium Fellow.
She studied studio art at California State University Long Beach before transferring to Syracuse University where she received her BFA in Art Photography. In 2019, she earned her master’s degree in Arts in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
She has exhibited at the Spark Contemporary Art Gallery (Syracuse, NY), Queens Museum (Queens, New York), Ang Panublion Museum (Roxas City, Cadiz, Philippines), Alfredo F. Tadiar Library (San Fernando, La Union, Philippines), Areté Ateneo Art Gallery (Manila, Philippines), and Flushing Town Hall (Queens, New York).
She has done work for the Campaign and Creative Services team at BerlinRosen, the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the Resilient Communities program at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Penguin Random House, Condé Nast, and Visionaire. Recently she worked at the International Rescue Committee, where she supported the Education technical unit, coordinated with the Global Anti-Racism and Decoloniality (GARD) Network, and participated in Operation Allies Welcome.
Kudos
She was a 2023 Design Justice as Practice Fellow with the Center for Urban Pedagogy and recipient of a 2023 New York State Council on the Arts creative grant for interdisciplinary art. Previously, she was a part of Re:Generation with The Monument Lab and a 2021-22 Art Commissioner with Queens Council on the Arts. She has been awarded opportunities from The Fulbright Program, The Laundromat Project, En Foco, Inc., Wave Farm, and the Asian Women Giving Circle. She was a mentor with the New York Foundation for the Arts Immigrant Artist Program in 2021-22 and 2022-23. She has been an invited speaker at Stanford University, the Landmark Society of Western New York, and the NYC Racial Justice Commission.
Her work has been highlighted in The New York Times, Gothamist, ARTnews, Art Forum, Business Insider, Public Radio International, Artsy, Yes! Magazine, Nueva Luz, The Asian Journal, APEX Express, All in NYC, New York Historical Society, and the Center for an Urban Future, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s virtual event “Creatives Rebuild New York—and America,” BronxNet Television, and on the PBS/Chasing the Dream series Caretakers.
She shared her thoughts on art and care in an episode of the Queens Memory Project Podcast called “Seeing Signs,” the Queens Council on the Arts blog, 1202 Magazine, and in a documentary about Little Manila aired on the Philippine television series I-Witness on GMA Network. She has also spoken about her experience community-building in Little Manila with The Laundromat Project and redistricting advocacy efforts in Little Manila. In recognition of her efforts, she was included in City & State New York’s 2023 Queens Power 100 list.
STUDIO ART
SELECT WORKS
Snare for Birds
Works born out of arts-based research of the U.S. colonial archive, inviting contemplation on the interplay between history and contemporary realities, while exploring the materiality and significance of the archive to memory-making.
Untitled (from Snare for Birds), 2021-2023, Charcoal and pastel on manila paper
Untitled (from Snare for Birds),
2023, Charcoal on manila paper
Bagyo
Bagyo is an exploration living in the anthropocene, as experienced in a cycle of violence and suspended tragedy. In the face of climate disaster, it contemplates what it means to move beyond what diplomat Samantha Power describes as “admiring the problem” as opposed to solving it.
Bagyo, 2018, Virtual reality sculpture and space
Vid-joke
“Vid-joke” examines the dynamics of climate discourse from a diasporic Filipino perspective. The work reimagines the role of political theatre, platitudes, and the global stage as a karaoke performance, a favorite Filipino pastime. Using the lo-fi aesthetics of karaoke videos, its highly-saturated style will be utilized to render disaster images and text by Filipino climate activists and leaders. The work invites the audience to consider the performativity of participation or inaction.
Vid-joke, 2018, Digital video
Repatriation
Through photography, this body of work delves into the landscape of a diasporic experience, conveying the yearnings, joys, and feelings of exile.
Untitled (Manila), 2013, Digital photograph
Untitled (Samar), 2018, Digital photograph
Untitled (Catanduanes), 2013, Digital scan from medium format film negative
Untitled (Donsol), 2012, Digital photograph
Untitled (Manila), 2014, Digital photograph
Self-Portrait as the Sulu Sea
Performance video based on embodied research of dance traditions of Southeast Asia.
Self-Portrait as the Sulu Sea, 2018, Performance-based digital video
Tsismis
Performance and animation video about external and internal struggles of anxiety.
Tsismis, 2018, Performance-based digital
Untitled (Hyphen Series)
Photographic series of self-portraits contemplating the boundaries of racial identity.
Untitled (Hyphen Series), 2010, Performance-based photography
Untitled (Hair Series)
Self-exploration utilizing diverse hair styles to obscure and amplify the relationship and performance of exoticness and femininity.
Untitled (Hair Series), 2009-2010, Performance-based photography
© 2010-2023 JACLYN REYES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.