Her plane of interest spans (but is not limited to) the following:
archival photographs as a tool to interrogate history,
formation of art archives and archives in art,
curatorial play in alternative spaces,
&
thoughtful and experimental transmission of texts as carriers of thought.
As an independent researcher, her current focus is finding women photographers in the Philippines who were active in the post-World War II era (1946-1960s). This project is supported by the Peter E. Palmquist Memorial Fund of the Humboldt Area Foundation + Wild Rivers Community Foundation.
As a cultural worker in Manila (who realistically cannot survive with just one job), she wears many hats: coordinator at the Kalaw-Ledesma Foundation, curator and event organizer at 98B COLLABoratory, editor at WritingFoto, among others. She has also contributed to Cartellino, ArtAsiaPacific, and TheCollector.
With time and resources (and luck), she tries to participate in international workshops. In 2024, she was part of an exchange program organized by Taiwan Art Space Alliance and Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation. This year, she will be part of a cohort of art professionals co-learning in Hong Kong.
Finally, she is at the last stretch of finishing her master’s degree in Art Studies (Curatorial Studies) in University of the Philippines Diliman. She hopes to finish by 2025 so if ever you meet her, ask her about her thesis.
Bio updated June 5, 2025
May 26, 2025 – Website is currently under maintenance. In the meantime, you may follow me on Instagram @ellekaie or email me at hello[at]ellekaie.com.