Kristine Buenavista, b.1984, Barotac Viejo, Iloilo / Marrz Capanang, b.1986, Iloilo City, Iloilo / Marge Chavez, b.1991, Leon, Iloilo / Noel Epalan Jr, b.1988, Igbaras, Iloilo

Live and work in Iloilo

Amongst the bustle of streets, marketplaces and public settings of Iloilo on Panay Island, street-side murals by Kikik Kollektive can be found. The works are deeply engaged with local community and bring attention to social and environmental issues through a localised lens. Kikik use their large-scale murals to present these issues ‘as a means to preserve the past and be an active instigator in the dialogue for decolonisation’. ‘Kikik’ comes from the word for cicada in Hiligaynon, a language spoken in rural areas of Iloilo Province. For the collective, the insect’s loud chatter is symbolic of how the artists stimulate dialogue and exchange in the community. For APT11, Kikik Kollektive celebrates significant stories of Iloilo in a vast mural Tul-an sang aton kamal-aman (Bones of our elders) 2024, honouring the indigenous culture of Panay through a tribute to local figures, community traditions, ancient cultivation practices and spiritual beliefs.

This project is supported by the Commonwealth through the Office for the Arts, part of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.