INFO
| Name | Marc Conaco |
| Country of Birth | Philippines |
| Place of Residence | Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland |
| Artform | Zines, Visual arts |
| Decades Active | 2010s, 2020s |
ABOUT
Marc Conaco is a queer Bisaya artist, zinemaker, and activist based in Tāmaki Makaurau whose practice is focused on decolonisation and Indigenisation. A significant theme in Conaco’s work is his personal journey of decolonisation and rediscovering the pre-colonial culture of his Bisaya ancestors. His award-winning 2016 zine, I am brown. I will not frown. uses illustration, comics, and historic diagrams to (re)present the history of colonialism in the Philippines. In 2017, Conaco won the Chromacon Comic Art award for his zine, Haunted, which depicted Filipino mythologies.
Conaco was born in Cebu, Philippines and immigrated to Aotearoa in 2008 to study graphic design. He reflects back on his experiences attempting to assimilate to New Zealand culture, considering them to be “problematic” in Jenna Wee’s Asian in Aotearoa podcast, particularly his experiences of casual racism. A turning point for Conaco was in the discovery of both the Black Lives Matter movement and the Fijian Veiqia Project - these organisations impacted Conaco deeply, confronting the way Western education and power structures had led to ingrained colourism, rejection of his heritage, and loss of traditional knowledge. This marked the start of Conaco’s journey toward decolonisation and using art as a way to revitalise previously excluded pre-colonial stories, heritage, and culture: “Storytelling is how we keep our cultures alive,” he has said. “And I will do that until I no longer can. We learn who we are by unlearning who our colonisers taught us to be. By knowing our histories we reclaim our identities. By remembering who we are, we reclaim our power”.
A staple of Conaco’s art style is simple, picturebook-esque visuals; bright colours, and clean line-art define his illustrations. This is a deliberate choice to focus on the joys of reconnecting with heritage and culture: “I want someone to look at my work and feel joyful. And not be reminded of the author’s trauma or their own intergenerational trauma”. The language of his zines is notably informal, often using social media jargon such as hashtags and acronyms to discuss history in an educational and widely understandable way. In contrast, his exhibited work often utilises a more narrative storytelling style. Conaco perceives his practice to be rooted in “keeping stories alive and accessible for his community” - an ethos that is tangible in all of his work and community workshops.
In Conaco’s journey of researching and rediscovering pre-colonial Bisaya culture, he has also exhibited work around queer indigenous history and recontextualizing queerness through a pre-colonial lens. In 2019, Conaco was notably featured as part of Te Whāinga - a collaborative exhibition between Auckland Museum and Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. His work, Ang babaylan nga nahimong bayot used illustration and narrative to tell the story of the Babaylan, "queer Philippine ancestors who were the spiritual leaders of pre-colonial animistic religion". Conaco refers to this exhibition as a significant moment in his artistic journey: “the Smithsonian exhibition was pivotal in me being comfortable with using the term 'artist' to refer to my practice”.
Another important moment in Conaco’s career was the 2021 Objectspace exhibition Syokes. Conaco exhibited artwork in conjunction with Louie Bretaña and fashion designer Dennis Sayat to “reclaim the power of the queer Indigenous identity as divine conduits”. This exhibition gave way to Magic & Joy - a community zine from an open workshop in collaboration between Syokes and Migrant Zine Collective.
Conaco has previously been volunteering at Open Homes, a community gardening space, to learn about food sovereignty and agroecology. He hopes for his zinemaking and art to become a space for younger generations to learn about pre-colonial Bisaya practices and decolonisation.
LINKS
Key works / presentations
2023 — Oasis/Respite 2.0 at Corban Estate Arts Centre, Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa
2022 — An evolution of identity – Navigating our space, exhibition by Āhua Collective at Studio One/Toi Tū, Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa
2022 — Oasis/Respite Project in alignment with Trans Awareness week, temporary pop-up Studio One Toi Tū art gallery, Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa
2021 — Liveworks Festival of Experimental Art LIVE DREAMS, Performance Space, Sydney, Australia
2020 — Syokes Exhibition at Objectspace by Marc Conaco and Louie Bretaña, Objectspace, Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa
2019 — Ang Babaylan Nga Nahimong Bayot (From Spiritual Leader To Faggot) exhibted at Te Whāinga: A Culture Lab on Civility, curated by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in partnership with the Auckland War Memorial Museum, Silo Park, Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa
2017 — Haunted zine
2016 — I am brown. I will not frown. zine
Key awards
2022 - Asian Aotearoa Artist-in-residence at Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts,Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa
2017 - Haunted won Chromacon Best Comic Art award
2016 - I am brown. I will not frown. won Auckland Zinefest Best of the Fest award
