Jessa Mae Mendiola was born on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. At the age of seven, she immigrated to the United States with her family. As she moved to America at a young age, she did not have the opportunity to discover her Filipino heritage, history, and culture. Thus, she is reconnecting with her birth country by creating artworks that involve sociopolitical issues, Filipino American identity, immigration, cultural practices, and influences of colonialism. Jessa Mae Mendiola works with a variety of media such as painting, drawing, sculpture, and installation. Her work has been shown in galleries throughout the Chicagoland area.

Through my works I bring awareness and a voice to marginalized groups, such as indigenous people, farmers, and the poor. I explore their stories, struggles, and the hostile sociopolitical forces that they face. These include people known by the umbrella name of ‘Lumad,’ i.e. indigenous groups who are neither Christian nor Muslim, but who belong rather to earlier, native Filipino belief systems. Such people are victims of frequent killings and false imprisonment by both official and extrajudicial forces. I create memorials or tributes to these oppressed people by utilizing the names of those who have died or were wronged by such hostile forces.”