About
Cathlyn CLENG SUMAGAYSAY-del Rosario
ARTIST STATEMENT
Diffidence has always been a hindrance; hence, I often struggle to share this creative gift which I discovered when I was three. It was only recently that I was finally able to come out of my protective shell. This renewed passion has allowed me to teach myself of the deeper purpose of art, and that is--to open the beholder’s mind and soul to limitless possibilities. My work does not always need to make sense, since abstract ideas behind the images cannot be fully translated to confining contexts. My artworks oscillate between the juxtaposition of concepts—the mundane and the surreal, reality and dreams. The emphasis on introspection through the subtle and apparent symbolism in my paintings merged with the viewer's own subjective interpretation reveal the meaning of my works. I believe that a true work of art speaks to the subconscious and beyond, and gives way for immateriality to come to the surface: to form, to canvas. Perhaps, I was born to awaken the somnambulistic viewers from their nescient slumber, to resurrect the forgotten archetypes, and to help heal this somber planet through my ART.
BIO
Cathlyn "CLENG" Sumagaysay-del Rosario received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts from the oldest university in Asia, University of Santo Tomas, in Manila, Philippines in 2001. She taught Mass Communication at Palawan State University for a year before migrating to the United States in 2002. She attended the Los Angeles City College in 2005 and transferred to California State University, Long Beach in 2008 to study art. From 2007 to present, she has been exhibiting and working on various art-related projects both in the United States and Asia. Her self-portrait painting, “At the Forefront of an Archaic Yet Seemingly New Paradigm” (2011), became the cover of the book, “KOMENTULARYOS”, by an award-winning Filipino poet and writer, Tomas F. Agulto.
CLENG was chosen as one of the 10 Most Outstanding Palaweno Artists for the first ever “My City, My SM, My Art” juried by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in 2018. She also became one of the Top 10 Philippine Contemporary Artists from the Regions (Palawan) in 2020.
Sumagaysay’s self-portrait mural at Wild Feather in Lower Haight, San Francisco, California helped launch the historic Paint the Void project in 2020; it was also featured on Fox News and mentioned in Forbes, Yahoo News, Real Simple Magazine, and several articles. She was one of the artists featured in the book, PAINTING THE VOID: How Art Transformed the San Francisco Bay Area During a Global Pandemic, published by Paint the Void.
The artist often paints self-portraits emphasizing introspection in her work.
NEWS
FORBES:
FOX:
https://www.ktvu.com/news/artists-transforming-boarded-up-storefronts-in-san-francisco-into-murals
YAHOO:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/bay-area-artists-lighting-empty-203907534.html
HOODLINE:
https://hoodline.com/2020/04/lower-haight-comes-together-to-beautify-boarded-up-storefronts
SECRET SAN FRANCISCO:
https://secretsanfrancisco.com/paint-the-void-exhibition/
ARTBUSINESS:
https://www.artbusiness.com/1open/052017.html
PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER:
THE PHILIPPINE STAR:
https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/the-philippine-star/20181216/282651803582991
PUBLICATIONS
May/June 2025 Issue #6, COVER Featured Artist,
ART SCENE + MAGAZINE
https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/3070823
Photographed by Vincent Gotti
September 2024 Issue, Featured Artist,
LUX CLUB MAGAZINE:
"Her Time is Now" by Emmanuel Rigoberto Tolentino;
Photographed by Vincent Gotti
September 2024 Issue #2, Featured Artist,
ART SCENE + MAGAZINE:
"Her Time is Now" by Emmanuel Rigoberto Tolentino;
Photographed by Vincent Gotti
2024 Featured Artist, PAINTING THE VOID BOOK: How Art Transformed the San Francisco Bay Area
During a Global Pandemic
by PAINT THE VOID
2013 Book Cover Art, KOMENTULARYOS: Despedida kay Balagtas
by TOMAS F. AGULTO
2012 Book Cover Art, KOMENTULARYOS: Usapang Makatas
by TOMAS F. AGULTO
AFFILIATIONS
Divergence Art Collective,
Distinction Gallery,
Escondido, California, USA:
Artist
San Francisco City Art Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA:
Artist
Paint the Void,
San Francisco, California, USA:
Artist
2051 Thirdspace,
San Francisco, California, USA:
Artist
Uniprint, Hongkong
Artist
Art on the Move,
Palawan, Philippines:
Co-founder
Human Projector, Canvas Hotel Murals,
Palawan, Philippines:
Artist
Art Kompak, Kalye Artisano, Lio, El Nido,
Palawan, Philippines:
Artist
MINUS,
Los Angeles, California, USA:
Frontwoman/Musician
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2026
July 2026, "Ultrahive 4"
Hive Gallery,
Los Angeles, California, USA
July 2026, "Themeless Show 2"
Rosebud Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
May 2026, "Bloodlines & Brushstrokes"
Thumbprint Gallery,
San Diego, California, USA
March 2026, "Cross Currents"
Curated by Thumbprint Gallery
Distinction Gallery,
Escondido, California, USA
February 2026, "Love Letters 3"
Divergence Art Collective Group Show
Distinction Gallery,
Escondido, California, USA
2025
December 2025, "3rd Annual Postcard Show"
Brassworks Gallery,
Portland, Oregon, USA
September 2025, "September Show"
SF City Art Gallery
San Francisco, California, USA
July 2025, "SUPERHYPERLOCAL"
The Drawing Room Annex, Valencia St.
San Francisco, California, USA
June 2025, "Nautilus III"
Divergence Art Collective Group Show
Distinction Gallery,
Escondido, California, USA
June 2025, "DAYO",
Thumbprint Gallery,
San Diego, California, USA
June 2025, "First Underground Art Show",
Punk Majesty SF Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
April 2025, WonderlandSF's "SKATE",
111 Minna Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
February 2025, "Love Letters 2"
Divergence Art Collective Group Show
Distinction Gallery,
Escondido, California, USA
2024
December 2024, "2nd Annual Postcard Show"
Brassworks Gallery,
Portland, Oregon, USA
December 2024, "Wonderland SF Group Show"
Mirus Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
October 2024, "Works of HeART"
2358MRKT Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
October 2024, "October Group Show"
SF City Art Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
September 2024, "COHSF Art Auction 2024"
SOMArts Cultural Center,
San Francisco, California, USA
August 2024, "Nautilus II"
Divergence Art Collective Group Show
Distinction Gallery,
Escondido, California, USA
June 2024, "Sound Visions"
Divergence Art Collective Group Show
Distinction Gallery,
Escondido, California, USA
April 2024, "GODS & Monsters"
Divergence Art Collective Group Show
Distinction Gallery,
Escondido, California, USA
February 2024, "Opposites"
Divergence Art Collective Group Show
Distinction Gallery,
Escondido, California, USA
January 2024, "Home"
The Drawing Room Annex, Valencia St.
San Francisco, California, USA
2023
September 2023, "The Hive Art Swarm"
FM Oakland Gallery
Oakland, California, USA
August 2023, "2051 Thirdspace Group Show"
The Sycamore
San Francisco, California, USA
June 2023, "Vignette Wonderland"
Divergence Art Collective Group Show
Distinction Gallery,
Escondido, California, USA
June 2023, "Circus Town"
Divergence Art Collective Group Show
The Hive Gallery,
Los Angeles, California, USA
April 2023, "Garden of Resilience"
Divergence Art Collective Group Show
Distinction Gallery,
Escondido, California, USA
April 2023, "April Group Show"
SF City Art Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
February 2023, "Sky"
The Drawing Room Annex,
San Francisco, California, USA
January 2023, "Lucky Rabbit"
Helvella Art Gallery,
Oakland, California, USA
2022
December 2022, "16x16"
Mirus Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
December 2022, "Krampus Art Show"
Memento Mori Gallery,
Lakewood, Colorado, USA
December 2022, "Sea"
The Drawing Room Annex,
San Francisco, California, USA
November 2022, "Gregorio Fine Art First Show"
Gregorio Fine Art Gallery,
El Nido, Palawan, Philippines
October 2022, "Ink & Easel Studio 3rd Anniversary Show"
Ink & Easel Art Studio & Gallery,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
September 2022, "COHSF Art Auction 2022"
SOMArts Cultural Center,
San Francisco, California, USA
August 2022, "August Group Show"
SF City Art Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
June 2022, "Wonderland",
Helvella Art Gallery,
Oakland, California, USA
April 2022, "Helvella Fundraiser/First Group Show",
Helvella Art Gallery,
Oakland, California, USA
March 2022, "Women Rising",
The Drawing Room Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
February 2022, "Tides of Change",
The Drawing Room Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
January 2022, WonderlandSF's "SKATE",
Mirus Art Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
2021
November 2021, "Valencia Street Art Corridor"
Artyhood SF,
San Francisco, California, USA
September 2021, "September Group Show"
SF City Art Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
August 2021, "First Artscape Show"
Sunset Mercantile,
San Francisco, California, USA
July 2021, "Hayes Valley Shared Streets"
HVNA,
San Francisco, California, USA
March 2021, "Hayes Valley Shared Streets"
HVNA,
San Francisco, California, USA
January 2021, WonderlandSF's "The Return of Discolandia",
111 Minna Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
2020
November 2020, "Paint the Void Murals & Gastro Lab: Botanical Flavors" ,
The Midway SF,
San Francisco, California, USA
October 2020, "Future Tense, What Has (Not) Happened (Yet)",
The Drawing Room SF Annex Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
October 2020, "Bay Area Artist's Choice",
San Francisco Women Artists Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
September 2020, "September Group Show",
SF City Art Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
March 2020, "Women Rising",
The Drawing Room SF,
San Francisco, California, USA
February 2020, "February Group Show",
SF City Art Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
2019
November 2019, "November Group Show",
SF City Art Gallery,
San Francisco, California, USA
August 2019, "26th Annual Pistahan Festival",
Yerba Buena Gardens,
San Francisco, California, USA
August 2019, "Urban Night Market",
Rock Wall Wine Company,
Alameda, California, USA
July 2019, "Arthur Macs Art & Merch",
Arthur Macs,
Oakland, California, USA
June 2019, "LIKHart SF Group Show",
Kalayaan SF,
Union Square, San Francisco, California, USA
February 2019, "AOTM Group Show",
Stellar Grounds,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
2018
December 2018, "Stellar Group Show",
Stellar Grounds,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
October 2018, "My City, My SM, My Art",
SM City,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
September 2018, “One Parallel Vision”,
Robinsons Place,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
August 2018, “Hand in Hand”,
Paseo Art Gallery,
Makati, Philippines
June 2018, “Baragatan Art Show 2018”,
Provincial Capitol,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
2017
May 2017, "SUMMER OF LOVE Bay Area Juried Exhibition",
Arc Gallery,
Folsom Street, San Francisco, California, USA
2016
November 2016, "Contemporary Art & Music Showcase",
Haight Gallery,
Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco, California, USA
November 2016, "Chocolate & Art Show",
SOMArts Cultural Center,
San Francisco, California, USA
September 2016, "Haight Gallery's First Group Show",
Haight Gallery,
Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco, California, USA
2015
October 2015, “Rotary Club of Makati West: Alay Sining 8”,
The Gallery, Greentbelt 5,
Makati, Philippines
August 2015, "ART ON THE MOVE: First Group Show",
AOTM Art Space,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
June 2015, “BARAGATAN Festival Juried Show”,
Provincial Capitol,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
2014
July 2014, “UP Palawenos: Arte Mo, Palaweno”,
Robinson’s Place,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
February 2014, “Palawan Colors”,
Kalui Gallery,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
2013
December 2013, “Alay sa Kalikasan”,
Robinson’s Place,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
November 2013, “Tabang Calamianes”,
The Gypsy’s Lair Art Café,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
January 2013, "Luwason Nato" (Artists for Nature Group Show),
Turtle’s Nest,
Cebu City, Philippines
2012
December 2012, “Isalbar Ta”,
The Gypsy’s Lair Art Café,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
May 2012, “Images”,
Skylight Hotel,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
February 2012, “HeART Colors”,
Irawan Art Café,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
2011
December 2011, “Nature Spirits”,
Lotus Garden,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
October 2011, “An Alien Landscape”,
The Gypsy’s Lair Art Café,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
June 2011, “Konsyerto, Sining, Kalikasan”,
Kinabuch’s,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
May 2011, “Alay Sining”,
Katabom Bar,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
April 2011, “Kalugtan Group Show”,
Balay Tubay Art Gallery,
El Nido, Palawan, Philippines
February 2011, “Treebute to Dr. Gerry”,
Palawan Museum,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
2010
September 2010, “Bilibid or Not”,
Kalui Gallery,
P.P.C., Palawan, Philippines
2007
March 2007, “DA VINCI Hall Exhibition”,
Los Angeles City College,
Los Angeles, California, USA
2006
December 2006, “DA VINCI Hall Exhibition”,
Los Angeles City College,
Los Angeles, California, USA
October 2006, “DA VINCI Hall Exhibition”,
Los Angeles City College,
Los Angeles, California, USA