Artist Statement

Cassi Paguio is a Filipino artist working in a variety of disciplines, including painting, sculpture, digital art, and marine photography. Her work is influenced by 11 years of experience as a certified rescue scuba diver and underwater photographer. Through her artistic platform, she aspires to disseminate marine awareness in order to contribute to the restoration of our planet's indispensable oceanic environments. Her work draws from marine data and personal photography taken in multiple tropical coral reefs, which are explored through vibrant, large-scale mixed media paintings of marine flora and fauna. Navigating the depths of these artworks, the audience is invited to contemplate not only the mesmerizing beauty found beneath the waves but also the pressing need for aquatic conservation, exploring our shared human connection to water. Her multifaceted approach, combining personal relationships with water and a commitment to environmental consciousness, converges the profound connection between humanity and the aqueous world. In addition to depictions of ocean life, she aspires to push the boundaries of human interaction with water and explore the element in different aesthetic forms. She aims to merge the ecocentric with personal narratives relating to our deeply rooted connection with water as a source of life. Drawing from her cultural heritage, she also takes inspiration from Filipino colonial history, mythology, and literature, exploring cultural identity from a decolonized perspective. Through traditional portraiture, she seeks to represent Filipino Morenas in contrast with the frequent appearance of European women in Filipino classical art.