Maryrose Cobarrubias Mendoza
Kapwa, 2018 - 2020
Cardboard, spray paint
Courtesy of the artist

This work is on loan for the exhibition, Living Here, at the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, June 20 - December 20, 2025

The concept of “kapwa” is defined by Virgilio Enriquez and Leny Strobel, scholars of Indigenous Filipino culture, as a “recognition of a shared identity or, an inner self, shared with others.” “Kapwa is more than just a cultural value; It is a reminder that we are all part of a shared identity,” Mendoza explains. “I am thinking about how wonderful it would be if the value of Kapwa was available to be shared widely. I am playfully ‘boxing’ the concept, as in a form of distribution. It would be so nice if we recognized Kapwa in our lives more.” She connects her work to the visual language of consumer products (the Coca-Cola logo) and reminds us of consumerism’s intersection with art history (Andy Warhol’s Brillo Boxes).