Inikadowa: Building Light at Burning Man
Physical Art Installation — Collaborator & Hands-On Build
Burning Man 2025
Some projects aren't about leading. They're about showing up: patience, steady hands, and the will to carry someone else's own vision into light.
Inikadowa is a large-scale interactive light sculpture rooted in Filipino myth and the craft tradition of the parol — the star lantern that has marked Filipino homes and gatherings for generations. I joined the build as a creative thought partner and hands-on collaborator, not its lead or creator, working alongside a small crew of artists and friends to bring it from concept to a fully realized installation on the Black Rock Desert playa. This is that build, in five parts.
Reimagined Parol
Up close, it's just color and light — thousands of individual pieces, each one placed by hand.
Taking inspiration from actual bird feathers to evoke the spirit of Inikadowa
INspiration
Inspiration for the wings
3D render mock up for feathers
Production of feathers
Burning Man runs on people who show up for each other. This installation only happened because a small crew of artists and friends decided to build something together.
The Crew
Taking shape
Piece by piece, the bird began to take shape
Then the sun goes down, and it becomes something else entirely — a piece of home, half a world away, lit up for anyone walking by.
Illumination
reflection
For me, this project was never really about the technical build — it's about what it carries. Inikadowa draws on the imagery and spirit of Filipino myth and the quiet artistry of the parol, brought into physical form and light. Burning Man became a stage large enough to carry that heritage to a global community — an invitation for people who may never have encountered Filipino folklore to sit with its light for a moment. Playing even a supporting role in bringing that story into the desert is something I carry with real pride.
Roles
My role & contribution: Installation | Visual Design
Team contributors: 3D renders | Volunteers | Welders | Lift Operators