MAKULAY: The Colors of Filipino Creativity Thriving in Kuwait (2025)

In a fast-paced world where cultures are blurred, diluted, or dislocated, a passionate group of Filipino artists in Kuwait ensures the colors of their homeland are not lost. Allow me to introduce MAKULAY, short for Malikhaing Kulturang Layag, a collaborative guild of Filipino artists working in Kuwait and a community of creative people about cultural pride and artistic liberty. This consortium of artists is bringing creative life to urban spaces and allowing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to use art to express themselves to the outside public.

Who Is MAKULAY?

MAKULAY is an organization of Filipino artists, designers, muralists, and cultural workers based in Kuwait. Our members – overwhelmingly OFWs – all have various full-time jobs in every conceivable industry. These same members still prioritize expressing themselves and serving their community through artistic initiatives.

Our core belief is that art, in any form, can be used when human beings need to connect by storytelling and cultural storytelling.

A common thread runs through everyone who has engaged with the MAKULAY message. Not only is MAKULAY an organization, it has become a foundational part of the Filipino community in Kuwait. MAKULAY values cultural expression for aesthetic sake. It is also about identity reclamation, making connections through creativity, and pursuing an understanding of Filipino heritage extended to the next generation of OFWs and new world citizens!

 

Art With a Mission: Cultural Preservation and Empowerment

MAKULAY’s focus on intention and inclusivity differentiates it from other art collectives. Each project, mural, and exhibit gets made, and didn’t, just for application but for purpose. Their creative work addresses themes of:

• Philippine independence and nationalism
• Migration and Life Abroad  
• Mental health and emotional expression
• Unity of Filipinos in the diaspora

Their creative work has been therapeutic and empowering, particularly for OFWs experiencing homesickness or disconnection from their culture. Art therapy can often be an overlooked facet of their projects, but it can create an avenue of healing and provide a sense of belonging through creativity.

Makulay Street: A Landmark of Filipino Art in Kuwait

MAKULAY also unveiled what’s hopefully becoming truly iconic, such as Makulay Street in Salmiya. Makulay Street was a nondescript alley that has grown into an open-air gallery filled with murals, street art, and illustrated symbols representing the three regions of the Philippines—Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Each wall narrates a story of Filipino Culture—from the historical representation of the Jeepneys to the value of community spirit, or Bayanihan. To Filipino expatriates in Kuwait, this street goes beyond being a tourist attraction – it is a place that recognizes their identity. For residents and other expatriates, it provides an opportunity to engage and be enthralled by the visual culture of Filipinos.

Makulay Street has since become popular on social media, travel blogs, and cultural tours through Little Manila in Kuwait.

Art Exhibitions and Cultural Collaborations

MAKULAY has been a part of many Filipino art exhibits and Independence Day events in Kuwait, often working in concert with the Philippine Embassy and other local cultural groups such as MASA (Malalayang Alagad ng Sining at Adhikain). One ambitious project was the “Malayang Sining” exhibit, which brought multiple artists together to explore their notions of freedom and love of country in painting, sculpture, and mixed media works. FAR is not only these exhibits. They are a community celebration that shows and celebrates community, creativity in the arts, and acknowledgment of Filipino artists in the Middle East.

A Community for Artists Abroad

Being away from home does not mean being out of touch with your roots. MAKULAY is an essential venue for Filipino creatives in Kuwait to come together, collaborate, and have the opportunity to support each other. It doesn’t matter if you are a seasoned professional as a painter or just a self-taught illustrator. MAKULAY welcomes everyone to assist with mentorship, workshops, and potentially exhibiting your work.

The community-based model encourages youth involvement, art education, and cultural conversation among Filipinos and other nationalities. MAKULAY promotes cultural understanding and pride in being Filipino while functioning as a source of pride and professionalism.

MAKULAY in the Global Filipino Movement

As many Filipinos are moving abroad, the importance of understanding and reconnecting to cultural roots is becoming even more significant. MAULAY is part of a global Filipino movement seeking to create avenues for storytelling, facilitate cultural preservation, and strengthen international partnerships. – MAKULAY exemplifies that Filipino art can exist and prosper beyond the geography of the Philippine Islands. In a world that can often show the inequity of work done by migrant artists, MAKULAY reminds us that passion, culture, and identity can and ought to be in bold, colorful, and unapologetic ways.

MAKULAY is not just an artists’ guild; it’s an identity, a movement, a spirit of resilience, and a creative energy. Their experience in Salmiya, Kuwait, celebrates the indefatigable Filipino spirit, which will rise and grow with intention, purpose, and vibrancy, no matter the context or place. 

If you find yourself in Kuwait (as a local, a visitor, or a new resident in expat life), you must experience walking down Makulay Street. In a curse of color and sound, and with the stories waiting to be discovered, you will feel the creative agency of the Filipino people—alive, loud, and proud.

 

 

READ MORE RELATED BLOGS

READ MORE AND SHARE

If you like this article, please share and love my page DIARYNIGRACIA PAGE Questions, suggestions send me at diarynigracia @ gmail (dot) com

You may also follow my Instagram account featuring microliterature #microlit. For more of my artworks, visit DIARYNIGRACIA INSTAGRAM