wave RIDERS

ARCHIE GEOTINA or CHICHIMONSTA on how moving to Siargao sparked a new way of seeing.

- BIANCA CUSTODIO

"I wanted to lean on what I would see. Who were the heroes in front of me?” Archie Geotina says. The artist, also known as Chichimonsta, is explaining how Siargao influenced his artistry and has lead to the creation of his viral works. His “Pearls,” showing surfers Ikit and Aping Agudo in Filipiniana, was shared by thousands while the world was still reeling from the pandemic.

Geotina shares that the projects he has worked on since moving to Siargao from Manila is a way to contrast against Spanish-looking iconography. (He grew up with a religious grandmother). “The way I frame my muses is parang pwede mo sila ilagay sa simbahan. So yun yung influence ng Siargao sa akin. [The way I frame my muses is as if you can place them in a church. That was the influence Siargao gave me.] It gave me a local filter. I needed to be honest with myself and that’s what Siargao had given me.”

The artist spoke with Vogue Philippines about his viral project, women empowerment, and persistence in his craft.

Where did you grow up and what was it like growing up?

I grew up in Manila. I was born in Manila, but my whole family comes from Dinagat Island, Surigao del Norte, which is an hour away from Siargao. Siargao used to be a district of Surigao del Norte, so I grew up in a household full of Bisayas and Surigaonons. They were always speaking about the places we grew up in and Philippine folklore and all of that stuff, so although I never grew up in Dinagat Island per se, the food, the language, and the ethics have always been shared to me. It’s because everyone in my household, even our helpers, came from Surigao.