On social media, Van Bagañgan is known as Alima Embroidery. Using embroidery as his chosen medium, Van transforms objects into thread art, imbued with the delicate tenderness of care, pattern, and order—qualities uniquely achieved in handmade works. Fittingly, “Alima” is the Hiligaynon word for “hands”.
Another thing that defines Van’s practice is the workshops that he regularly conducts. He advocates for embroidery as an art practice, a leisurely activity, and a medium that is learned through consistent exercise.
“Queen of the Orient” is a commissioned work. The prompt I was given was for it to be Iloilo-themed and to include flowers. Looking back now, I realized I wanted to create something that reflects femininity and softness while also highlighting parts of Iloilo and Panay’s heritage. That intention shaped the choices I made from the subject to the materials used.
“Queen of the Orient” is hand-embroidered using thread on hablon from Bagtason, Antique. Using the local fabric, hablon, was intentional as it carries the heritage of Panay and so it naturally grounded the piece in local identity. The thread on the other hand allowed me to work slowly and delicately which helped express softness and femininity.
The artwork features a portrait of Pura Villanueva-Kalaw, who was not only a beauty queen but also a writer and suffragist. She is surrounded by banaba and waling-waling flowers, which I relate to grace and elegance. The combination of materials was meant to reflect the softness of femininity while also celebrating the richness of Iloilo and Panay’s heritage.
I consider this piece my most feminine one to date, and that’s something I really love about it. It makes me happy to see that softness come through in the finished work. Another thing I’m proud of is that it’s my first time working with hablon. Being able to incorporate a local textile like that into my embroidery felt meaningful.
I went through a painful phase in 2023, and “1 minute = 1 needle” is a visual representation of that painful time. It started with a confession from my ex, the exact words were, “I found someone else 10 minutes away from me”. And these words honestly felt like getting stabbed in the heart.
My closest friends would ask me how I was but all I could say was, “Sakit. Pero okay lang”. Painful but I was okay. After a breakdown, I sat with needles and thread in hand and stitched this heart on the canvas. I ended up finishing this artwork, and I immediately showed it to my friends. Right away, they understood the emotions I was feeling then. This artwork is everything I could not put into words.
But just to clear things up, I’m really okay now.
What I like and is thankful for about this piece is that it spoke on my behalf. I didn’t have to explain anything – it just carried everything I felt. I didn’t originally plan to re-home it, but about a year later, someone connected with it deeply and it found a new home. That moment felt like a ceremonial ending to that painful part of my life.
I usually start my day waking up to my dog, Juancho, sleeping beside me. Then I power up with a cup of coffee. Mornings are also when I check and respond to messages, and do some social media tasks – creating posts and scheduling them. Depending on how long I’ve procrastinated, I’ll start working on an artwork in the afternoon. I try not to force it when there’s no “will” because I know I’ll just get tired and even more unmotivated if I push too hard (which is what a procrastinator would normally say).
Before I really dive into an artwork, especially when I’m in the middle of something, I like to clear my mind first. That could mean going for a walk, meeting a friend sa banwa or city, or visiting a museum alone. I also tend to overthink a lot especially with commissioned works so doing those things helps ground me. It is often during those little breaks that I get a clear vision of what I want to do and how will I approach a piece.
What I find interesting, and honestly a bit magical, is how the universe keeps me going. I overthink and doubt myself a lot when it comes to this creative path but somehow, the universe always finds a way to remind me that I’m okay, that I’m where I’m meant to be, and that I am an artist.
Our series “A Day in the Life” is a documentation of creative process straight from the artists themselves. Submit your feature request through thriveartorg@gmail.com.
