Karrel Mae Miana is a Filipina-American visual artist from Lipa, Batangas who tells stories through digital and analog collages, illustrations, and blockprints. She moved to the US in 2009, where she spent the rest of her childhood in the Rio Grande Valley. Karrel then 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 San Antonio to showcase her work at Ube Fest 2026 .Today, she makes art to celebrate her culture and to remind herself that success comes in different forms. She is currently working on publishing a children’s book about the complex cultural upbringing of AAPI populations, directly using her “Sinigang” piece as her motif.
I work with upcycled magazines and prints to make my collages, using many layers and textures to tell my story. Artists that influence my vision are Brecht Evens and Henri Matisse. I turn to blockprinting for deeper messages I want to convey, inspired by the people in my community–those who are marginalized, discriminated against, and who have been victims of violence. I believe that art is political and joy is resistance, which is why you will see a mixture of colorful and vibrant works with pieces that are meant to empower marginalized voices.