UW–Madison MFA graduate Mariah Moneda is featured in a Madison365 article spotlighting her recent thesis exhibition, “Magmula Sa Lupa” (“From the Earth” in Tagalog), which explored themes of survival, memory, and belonging through interdisciplinary work grounded in Filipino cultural traditions.
Moneda, who completed her MFA in studio art in May, describes her path to the arts as a significant turning point in her life. “[When] I switched to photography, that’s where my life completely pivoted,” she explains. “I felt like, ‘This is where I’m supposed to be, in the fine art world.’”
The exhibition featured interactive elements inviting reflection on shared experience and cultural connection — from a Japanese-style wishing tree made from a repurposed mulberry branch to a communal kamayan feast arranged on banana leaves.
These works, Moneda says, are about sparking personal memory and connection. “What I want for the audience to take away is this feeling of remembering,” she explains. “Have you ever smelled something or tasted something you haven’t had in forever? And then when you think back on it, you remember exactly when and where you were the last time you had it. That’s what I want.”
Originally from Arizona and previously based in San Diego, Moneda moved to Madison in 2022 to pursue her graduate studies in the School of Education’s Art Department. Her multidisciplinary work blends photography, installation, and community participation, drawing from her personal migration story and heritage as a Filipino American.