MIANA

MIANA is a Filipina-American visual artist based in Texas. Her philosophy is that art is political, and joy is resistance. Her work conveys the stories of marginalized voices and the unique identities of immigrants, while inciting joy and warmth in each of her pieces by using vibrant colors and textures.

She first picked up a pencil at five years old, drawing landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. Her illustrations took a pause when she immigrated from the Philippines at nine years old, only picking up the pencil once or twice a year as navigating a new country and racism took priority in her life. 

Like many immigrants and children of immigrants, the blueprint to a successful life was simple: study hard and find a good job. She spent her adolescence and early adulthood struggling whether to pursue creativity or pursue a "safe" and "predictable" career that was expected of her. It wasn't until she was 26 years old when she was invited by LEAD Filipino Texas to showcase her work at Ube Fest 2026, San Antonio. From there, MIANA Illustrations was born.

Her experience in grassroots community organizing has given her the privilege to learn from many walks of life. Using her newfound platform, she intends to use her visual storytelling skills to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and stand as proof that success comes in whatever is true to one’s self. Currently, MIANA is working to establish herself in the creative activism realm, attending various Asian community markets throughout South Texas.