Wilbert "Weebong" Wee

"Eight Goldfishes" (watercolor painting by Weebong)

​Being an LGBTQ+ artist in Cebu can be a struggle to fit in. Spending time with other artists is helpful, sharing experiences and finding inspiration. However, the existing artist groups often lean towards being too male or female, making it difficult to open up and fully express thoughts in gatherings.

​My sexual orientation may or may not directly influence my painting. However, the feedback I receive often highlights a disconnect between my plain appearance and my artwork's gentle, dreamy nature. It's peculiar because I grew up in an academic, science environment and don't conform to the stereotypical eccentric artist appearance. Nevertheless, being gay allows me to explore and illustrate my unique perspective, conveying strength and gentleness in my pieces.

​The colors and how I select and combine them in my paintings subtly represent my gay identity. However, I have only created two artworks that explicitly depict LGBTQ+ elements. Many of my pieces aim to be gender-neutral, striving for universality in their depiction.

"Forever Dreaming" (watercolor painting by Weebong)

​Art is a visual tool that allows for expression without or with minimal reliance on words. It transcends language barriers, with only cultural references acting as limitations. As a result, art possesses the potential to be an influential force, challenging societal norms and stereotypes. Even if an artwork doesn't employ an overtly confrontational style, combining elements to convey a message can leave a lasting impression on viewers. The power of art lies in its ability to resonate with those who connect with the images and stories being portrayed.

​I greatly admire several LGBTQ+ artists in Cebu, including Kring Demetrio, Thirdy/Zar on Canvas, Van/Tapioca Terror, Veronica Hipolito, and Kat Layno. Witnessing their artistic journeys gives me a sense of safety, assuring me that it's acceptable to illustrate and embrace who I am while continuing to grow in my craft, regardless of societal opinions.

"Naiad" (watercolor painting by Weebong)

"Struggles" (watercolor painting by Weebong)

"Decisions" (watercolor painting by Weebong)

The artist, Van Opura

"Chopped", comic art

"Sauerkraut and Coleslaw" (original characters, comic art)

Surreal cartoons in vivid technicolor. They are a product of my constant fascination with the creepy and the magical.

I was privileged enough to grow up with cable TV, so I watched a lot of cartoons and anime that still influence me today. I've been reflecting on my childhood recently and thinking about all the different media I loved. Most of my favorite shows back then were very weird and surreal, and those are defining characteristics of my art. I am an escapist, so I gravitate toward artists and media that portray interesting, fantastical characters and universes. That's why I also like to read fantasy and speculative fiction, which influenced how I conceptualize and come up with ideas. I was also obsessed with DeviantArt and then Tumblr growing up! Being exposed to a diverse group of artists with unique points of view back then was also really formative, especially when I found out about other queer creatives, too! Another huge source of inspiration is looking back to the past and finding loads of amazing art and artists! It's fascinating to see how they portrayed the life and culture of the past century. It seems like a fantasy since it's all so different from our reality.

"Stork", comic art

I can recall one instance in college when I had a friend who was part of a local graffiti group, and I wanted to join. I was later told that they don't really like to have gay members because we tend to be loud and obnoxious. I was really disappointed. Imagine if they accepted me, I would've been a great graffiti artist by now LOL. But I have since moved on, and hopefully, the local art scene now is more welcoming. I do still have self-doubts. Since I post my artwork online, I sometimes wonder if they'll like my art less if they found out I was gay, but that's more of a personal issue that I'm trying to unlearn. It makes me hopeful since I have local straight artist friends online who admire my artwork regardless of gender and sexuality.

"Deep", comic art

Most, if not all, of the characters I depict are queer. I have recently noticed that I have been queering my childhood. I have created characters and realities I wished I had seen and experienced growing up. I liked shows about kid adventurers, like Harry Potter and Ash Ketchum, but they were all straight young boys. So most of the protagonists of my artworks are queer effeminate young boys going on adventures and being badass. But there is also a creepy and sinister aspect to them, which is very different from the wholesome male heroes of my childhood. Another thing I like to depict is relationships between boys. Something I wish I experienced growing up. I also think there's magic in being in the grey area of sexuality. There's something so special about being free from the binary. So I also like to imagine worlds between dimensions where the magic and the surreal are as natural as the air we breathe.

There is a flamboyant quality to how my characters dress. The boys are usually surrounded by flowers and adorned in floral patterns, jewelry, and bright colors but still remain very boyish in shorts and shirts. Like boy scouts but with frills! They wear clothes I specifically want to wear. I also put written words or labels in some of my pieces. It's my way of labeling and defining my reality rather than others doing it for me. There is also a constant duality existing simultaneously in my artworks, which I think is very queer. Very cute but creepy, very wholesome but morbid. That's where I got the 'terror' in my artist name since it can be 'terrific' and 'terrible.'

"Arlo and Hayes", comic art

​Definitely! That has been proven a lot throughout history. Queer people have been dictating sensibilities and pioneering certain artistic movements because there is power in being yourself amidst all odds. That's why other people are so afraid of people who live how they want. That's why I'll unabashedly be myself and stop apologizing for who I am. I may constantly find myself, but I'll always be myself in life and my art.

​I am part of Sikada (@artofsikada), a local art group. There are currently seven of us, and most of us are queer. I admire them so much, and they continue to be such inspiring people. My good friend Meelo (@mangobursts), a longtime friend of mine, is very good at depicting likable and human characters. I admire Tokwa Peñaflorida (@tokwap), who I've admired for so long now, whose art is lush and delicate yet provocative. Michael Deforge (@michaeldeforgecomics) is a Canadian comic artist and illustrator whose unique point of view and design sense I am constantly inspired by. Choo (@choodraws), a massive inspiration of mine, whose illustrations are full of sinister characters with fantastic attention to detail and a sense of color. JC Leyendecker is another big one for me. With his inimitable style, he revolutionized publication design with his amazing magazine covers, usually depicting male characters referenced from his lifelong partner, Charles Beach. There's also Pierre et Gilles, a gay couple producing amazing ornate photographs. They design their own sets and style the subject by themselves. They're really a match made in gay heaven.

The Artist with One of Her Artworks

"Museum" (Book Cover Illustration)

​Beauty and terror combined; the old spirit in a new vessel. 

​Aesthetically, my art has been influenced mainly by Western art movements, especially by baroque artists, pre-Raphaelites, and symbolists. As I grew up in the 90s anime boom in the Philippines, my work also has a significant osmosis of Eastern and Western influences. 

​But beyond decorative styles, I am more inspired by the idea of storytelling through myths and folklore. The stranger it is, the better. Fr. Demetrio SJ was my great grand uncle, and his books on Philippine folklore and myths shaped my fascination with ancient storytelling. The traditional folkloric narrative embraces paradoxical themes, which ultimately end up uniquely cultural to ours. In our tales, we welcome both beauty and terror, ominous and grand backstories to simple things. When a child develops a multitude of eyes and becomes a fruit, we appreciate that without her error and sacrifice, we wouldn't have pineapples. Narratives of this kind are most fascinating to me, and that is indeed what inspires me in drawing.

​Fortunately, I have met and befriended many fellow LGBT artists and their friends in Cebu. I have never felt ostracized for simply being bisexual. The phobia is mostly from me. Growing up with conservative parents, I have been taught to think that the important part of my sexuality is my attraction to the opposite sex. Any attraction to the same sex is a lie, sinful, and of the devil. This made me hide so much in my art that I didn't notice I had been drawing nothing but provocative women and effeminate men till later in my career. 
 
In 2015 when I participated in the first HER/A Exhibit, it took me forever to finish the piece I made for the show because it depicted a pregnant warrior Artemisia and her woman-lover. My parents' voices were at the back of my head; I expected humiliation, disgust, and rejection from the audience. To my surprise, none of that was there. Femininity and queerness were celebrated in that show. Sapphic women, transwomen, and women of every dress and manner proudly exhibited their work. I was there, happily mingling, wholly accepted. 

"Mimesis" (Rusalka Folklore, Book Cover Illustration)

​As I grew up closeted in a household that valued conservative views on gender and sexuality, I began to bury myself in the media I consumed and created. My favorite writer was Oscar Wilde, my favorite artist; Sandro Botticelli, my favorite monarch (obviously not a thing, but who could resist Garbo); Queen Christina of Sweden–all queer people who had to hide yet also shone for their queerness. 
 
Reading and watching so many queer stories, usually cautiously away or disguised from the presence of my family, made me also create queer-coded characters in my drawings. Homoerotic pictures of men and women abundantly filled my early portfolios. I began to draw Greek mythologies, even more giving myself an excuse to draw my characters most certainly akin to Achilles or Sappho. But the darkness of these stories, very commonly ending in death or exile, also influenced me to embrace a type of horror in my work. Though I am now out and proud of the closet, these narratives are still vividly woven into my art. 

​I usually just portray sexuality and gender identity through movement and gestures. I rarely directly use any symbols of sexuality and gender identity in my work. Still, I have pieces depicting rays of the sun to visually convey bisexuality, as seen in my work "Silahis." I made it to reclaim the derogatory term for bisexuals and return it to the power of the babaylan, the powerful genderfluid or bisexual shamans of our pre-colonial cultures. It frames them like the sun as they guided our ancestors in the wisdom of the cosmos and the unknown.

"Silahis" (Babaylan, Gallery Work)

​As someone who has aimed to consume every queer media I could get since the early 2000s, art has significantly contributed to changing views from then to now. Artists like Frida Kahlo, Tamara de Lempicka, Francis Bacon, and Robert Mapplethorpe, whose works are quintessentially queer, have partly shaped an upending of societal norms and stereotypes of queer women and men in the last century. For example, illustrators like J. C. Leyendecker have set the visual standard of what is considered the cultured man, which his audiences have openly adapted, unbeknownst to them that it was a gay man's perspective of masculine beauty. 
 
As a queer artist, I am infinitely grateful to the work of my predecessors who have openly portrayed their truth, for from them, I take my cue on how to portray my own truth too. From reclaiming derogatory terms and insults to queer readings of folktales and myths, I hope to continue this tradition of shaping a more diverse world where no sexuality or gender identity is the default. People should be free to live their most authentic selves.

​I am mainly into the work of Abel Klaer (@superstarfighter), a German illustrator whose marker and gel pen works are so beautifully intricate and mysterious. Albert Victoria (@albrt.victoria), whose neo-victorian drawings evoke a great sense of marriage between old and new, satirical and serious. I also enjoy Lauren Raye Snow's (@laurenrayesnow) emotional paintings, inspiring me to create equally thought-provoking and profound portraits. Nikolas Kafasis (@nikolas_tower) makes beautiful and moving portraits of women in colored pencils and watercolor media. Ginoe's (@hubineer) drawings and images embrace and elevate true Filipino kitschiness while skillfully retaining its visceral qualities. Cebu's very own Kat Layno (@denimcatfish) has also been making the most moving illustrations of sapphic love resonating with various audiences. Zar (@zaroncanvas), Van (@tapiocaterror), and Wee (@WeeBong) also create beautifully strange, wonderfully queer artworks.

"Mebuyan" (Gallery Work)

the artist Zar (or "Thirdy" to some friends)

My art style is characterized by an exploration of light, colors, and texture. I blend realism with elements of abstraction to capture emotions and narratives. I love to use oil, watercolor, and acrylic, though I constantly experiment with various mediums and techniques. I like challenging myself all the time.    Nature has been a significant influence on my art. I am continuously stirred by its wonders. The intricate patterns, textures, and colors found in landscapes, flora, and fauna often find their way into my work. I also draw inspiration from the depths of human emotions and the complexities of human experience. Through my work, I seek to convey a range of feelings--from joy and happiness to sadness and introspection.

"Etoile" by Zar

As a gay artist in Cebu, my experience has been filled with both rewarding and challenging moments. While the art community in Cebu is generally diverse and inclusive, stereotypes and prejudices can still affect the perception of LGBT artists. It is important to break from preconceived notions about the themes, styles, or subject matter that LGBT artists should explore. Art should be appreciated for its artistic merit beyond one's sexual orientation or gender identity.

My sexual orientation plays a significant role in influencing the style and content of my paintings. My aim is to depict LGBTQ+ individuals, relationships, and stories and offer people a glimpse into their lives while fostering empathy and understanding. ​

"There are more problems in the world..." by Zar

Symbols like tears, blinds, florals, butterflies, and other human emotions serve as visual shorthand for me to convey LGBTQ+ experiences and identities through my artwork. Furthermore, the body language and gestures of the figures which you will notice in my paintings play a vital role in expressing these concepts. Through posing, postures, and interactions, I aim to capture the subtle aspects of queer experiences, including confidence, vulnerability, and connection.

"Calathea" by Zar

Yes. Art has the ability to evoke emotions, spark dialogue, and shift perspectives.  It is a very important tool for social change. Art has the power to humanize the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals, making our stories relatable. By creating emotionally charged and subtle portrayals of queer individuals and their relationships, I aim to counter stigmatization and discrimination, and invite viewers to connect on a human level.

I admire artists like Joseph Christian Leyendecker, a commercial artist in the United States who intricately portrays gay narratives, and Ross Tran, an illustrator and concept artist recognized on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. I also draw inspiration from my friends The Drawer Kring, Tapioca Terror, and Weebong, who create stunning and impactful art.