Kring Demetrio - Reflecting on Queerness, Identity, and the Power of Art

​This June, as we celebrate Pride Month, we feature young Cebuanos and Cebu-based artists who embody the spirit of Queer Pride in the most inspiring ways. 
 
In this week's spotlight, we present Kring Demetrio, an exceptionally gifted illustrator, visual storyteller, and painter who hails from Cagayan de Oro City and now calls Cebu her home. Her remarkable artworks have graced exhibitions in the Philippines, the UK, and the US, garnering well-deserved recognition and awards. 

The Artist with One of Her Artworks

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​While Kring holds a degree in Philosophy, her creative journey began at the tender age of 5 when she first picked up a pencil. Even then, she sold her drawings to fuel her unwavering passion for art, enabling her to purchase additional supplies and even indulge in Sailor Moon stickers.

​As a child, her heart was drawn to mesmerizing tales, lovesick deities, otherworldly creatures, and realms steeped in the mists of time. However, as her artistic journey unfolded, she transcended the realm of mere aesthetics, embracing a profound fusion of intellect and technical expertise. Her passion shifted from crafting visually pleasing drawings to meticulously composing art pieces that weave captivating narratives. She fondly refers to her unique art style as "mugna-mugna," a fusion of her self-taught techniques and an attempt to emulate the delicate line strokes found in the sketches of revered masters she discovered within the pages of library books. Over time, her style has evolved, incorporating contemporary influences and references, adding depth and dimension to her creations.

"Museum" (Book Cover Illustration)

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​In the following interview, the artist graciously shared her thoughtful insights on queerness, identity, and the transformative power of art. Her responses offer valuable glimpses into her artistic journey and the profound connections she explores through her work.

​How would you describe your art style in a few words or phrases?

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

​What influences or inspirations have shaped your unique art style?

​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.

​How has your experience been as an LGBT artist in Cebu? Can you tell us about some of the challenges you've encountered?

​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)

​How has your sexual orientation influenced the style of your paintings?

​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. 

​Are there any specific techniques, symbols, or visual elements you use to convey concepts of sexuality and gender identity in your artwork?

​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)

​Do you believe that art has the power to challenge societal norms and stereotypes regarding sexuality and gender identity? If yes, how do you aim to achieve that through your 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.

​Are there any other LGBTQ+ artists in Cebu (or anywhere) whose work you admire or draw inspiration from?

​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)

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​In the footsteps of her predecessors, Kring Demetrio aspires to continue the tradition of shaping a more diverse world. In this world, no particular sexuality or gender identity is deemed the default. Her artistic vision aims to create a space where individuals can live their most authentic selves, free from societal constraints and expectations.
 
As we continue to celebrate and uplift LGBTQ+ voices, let us embrace the transformative potential of art. By appreciating and supporting artists like Kring Demetrio, we actively contribute to creating a society that celebrates the beauty of diversity and provides an inclusive platform for individuals to express their unique identity with pride.