Ayen Quias
Ayen Quias is a dedicated full-time Filipino artist who has unlocked the transformative potential of art within herself. From an early age, she recognized her innate talent for creating beauty and chose to pursue painting seriously in 2012 after exploring it as a hobby.
Ayen’s desire to make a statement, whether from her innermost feelings or her observations of society’s modernization and reliance on technology, motivates her artistic journey, which started with acrylics and later moved on to wood. This vision culminated in her collection “Cheeks on Fleek,” which combines figurative and abstract elements to depict modern women who serve as reflections of themselves – as a woman, a mother, and a lover. Ayen bares her soul through art, revealing her perceived flaws, individuality, and struggles.
Her venture into wood sculpture, particularly her masterpiece “Ayen’s Little Town,” aims to imbue discarded wood scraps with new significance, constructing vibrant, tightly-packed houses that symbolize the consequences of industrialization and urbanization. Rather than romanticizing poverty, Ayen’s works seek harmony amidst life’s chaos, offering viewers a sense of order and balance.
Despite the world’s complexity, Ayen opts for simplicity in her creations, believing that happiness lies in appreciating the simple things. She deconstructs intricate designs through her art to reveal their essence, infusing them with color and joy. For Ayen, art is therapeutic, transforming fears into beauty and inspiring positivity.
Her art has gained international recognition, with exhibitions in Malaysia and Singapore, inclusion in prestigious collections like the New York Modern Art Gallery, and features on CNN Philippines and other media outlets. Most notably, her piece “Ayen’s Little Town” graced the cover of the first Philippine Museums Yearbook and was showcased on a New York Times Square billboard alongside works by 100 other female artists.