Leeroy New on How His Lola’s Folk Stories Inspired His Art
In this episode of Greatest Hits, renowned artist Leeroy New breaks down the inspirations and motivations behind some of his renowned large-scale art pieces
Leeroy New, the internationally acclaimed artist behind large-scale installations such as “Mebuyan’s Colony” and “Balay Balete,” has always found a way to integrate Filipino folklore into his art.
“Balay Balete,” in particular, takes inspiration from New’s “aswang” heritage.
“I have a fascination for looking back to the stories I heard when I was a child,” says New in the latest episode of Rolling Stone Philippines Greatest Hits. He says, “My lola told me multiple stories about how she was able to tame sigbins in Mindanao. She’s from Cotabato City, originally from Siquijor. So may lahi akong aswang kaya mabilis tumubo kuko ko [Laughs].”
Made from almost 2,000 recycled plastic bottles woven into the roots, trunk, and sprawling branches of a life-sized balete tree, “Balay Balete” originally towered over visitors at the National Museum of Anthropology in 2023.
With “Balay Balete,” the artist hoped to incorporate the image of the balete tree, which often appears in Filipino mythology as the dwelling place of supernatural entities, and have it reckon with its place in a colonized, hyper-religious Philippines.
“There’s this mystical quality to the stories of our grandmothers,” said New. “We were warned as kids to not go to balete trees… I feel that these natural places of worship got demonized by our colonial religion in order for us to worship inside religion-sanctioned spaces.”
As with so many of his large-scale pieces, New also made a point of using only recycled materials in “Balay Balete.” “I’ve taken it as a challenge to use materials I’m able to source in junkshops,” said New, “[and] by doing so, I’m able to actively participate in redistributing the waste.”
In this episode of Rolling Stone Philippines Greatest HitsGreatest HitsA compilation of an artist's best-known or most popular songs, usually released as a career-spanning collection. It is a good entry point for new listeners, and it is also theGo to Greatest Hits Glossary, New breaks down five of his works and installations and how they’ve influenced the current trajectory of his career. You can watch the full episode now on our YouTube channel.
Frequently Asked Questions
New drew on childhood stories his lola told him about taming sigbins in Mindanao. Originally from Siquijor and based in Cotabato City, she claimed “aswang” heritage, which New says explains why his nails grow so fast.
“Balay Balete” is a life-sized balete tree woven from nearly 2,000 recycled plastic bottles, forming the roots, trunk, and branches. It was first exhibited at the National Museum of Anthropology in 2023.
In Filipino mythology, the balete tree is believed to house supernatural entities. New wanted the piece to reckon with how such folk beliefs were demonized under Spanish colonial religion in the Philippines.
Yes. New sources materials from junk shops as a personal challenge, saying it lets him actively participate in redistributing waste rather than relying on new, mass-produced materials for his large-scale installations.
New is also known for “Mebuyan’s Colony,” another large-scale installation rooted in Filipino folklore. He won the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Thirteen Artists Award in 2012 for his body of work.
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