Astral Dance draws from various cultures and a short story imagined during its creation. The egg, a symbol of femininity, love, and rebirth, becomes a vessel holding these meanings. Across its surface, humanized celestial bodies — the sun, moon, and stars — move in an endless dance. Star-crossed lovers, the sun and moon are briefly united as constellations bend time and space around them. At its heart (yolk), the piece is hopeful and celebratory, reminding us that through care and community, even the impossible can momentarily become real.

​

About the Artist:

Tokwa Penaflorida is a multifaceted Filipino artist known for work that spans children's book illustrations, conceptual art, and queer erotica. A central theme in his paintings is the queering of Filipino and Western folk-religious and occult iconographies, reflecting his questioning of form and his strong advocacy for representation. Penaflorida's expressionistic body of work, created using acrylics, watercolor, and digital mediums, is characterized by a somber opalescence, achieved through the nuanced gradation of pinks and soft, sinuous lines. He is a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, where he majored in Visual Communication.