Winna Go Explores Her Identity in the Exhibit Seams of Memory
Courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Manila
Courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Manila
Her exhibit, Seams of Memory, is on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila until July 12.
Seams of Memory, the latest exhibit by Winna Go, invites viewers into her exploration of identity and heritage as a Chinese Filipino artist. In collaboration with Art Cube Philippines and featuring 15 large-scale works spanning Go’s artistic career, the exhibit is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila from March 13 to July 12, 2026.
“The concept behind Seams of Memory is my growth as an artist, and also the evolution of my concept and the materiality that I used,” Winna Go says in an interview with Vogue Philippines.
Go specifically highlights “Embroidered Thoughts,” the piece she created during her undergraduate years in 2018, which earned her a regional win at the Philippine Art Awards. Now part of Seams of Memory, the artwork reflects her identity crisis as a Chinese Filipino growing up in the Philippines. “I’m pure Chinese by blood, but I feel more Filipino,” she explains. “This piece is about unclothing the heritage or identity I was born with, not something forced, but something I had to understand for myself.”
In creating Seams of Memory, Go traces the roots of the exhibit back to her time in Taiwan, where she pursued her Master’s degree in 2020. She wanted to explore migration stories, and it was her professor who introduced her to the concept of Sinophone, which she defines as being “about Chinese people who left China and settled in other countries, creating their own cultures. That theory really focuses on Southeast Asia. For Go, Seams of Memory became the space where she could finally bring together all the artworks she has created so far.
The exhibit showcases a mix of paintings, mixed media, installations, sculptures, and pottery. While Go is best known as a painter, she says it was rewarding to reveal the full range of her artistic practice, continuing the work she has been developing over the years.
As visitors explore her exhibit on the ground floor of the Metropolitan Museum, Go hopes they use the experience as a chance for self-reflection and personal connection. “I would say my artworks are very introspective and come from within,” she adds with a smile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Seams of Memory is an exhibit by Chinese Filipino artist Winna Go, featuring 15 large-scale works spanning her artistic career. Presented in collaboration with Art Cube Philippines, it is on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila from March 13 to July 12, 2026.
“Embroidered Thoughts” is a piece Winna Go created during her undergraduate years in 2018, which earned her a regional win at the Philippine Art Awards. Now included in Seams of Memory, it reflects her identity crisis as a Chinese Filipino artist growing up in the Philippines.
While pursuing her Master’s degree in Taiwan in 2020, Winna Go was introduced to the concept of Sinophone by her professor, referring to Chinese people who left China and formed distinct cultures elsewhere, with particular relevance to Southeast Asia.
Seams of Memory showcases a mix of paintings, mixed media, installations, sculptures, and pottery. Though best known as a painter, Winna Go says the exhibit allowed her to reveal the fuller range of her artistic practice developed over the years.
Seams of Memory is on view on the ground floor of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, running from March 13 to July 12, 2026, in collaboration with Art Cube Philippines.