Roquin-Jon Quichocho Siongco
They // Them // Theirs
Weaver and Fashion Designer
Yigu, Guåhan (Guam)
Roquin-Jon Quichocho Siongco is originally from Yigu, Guåhan (Guam). Siongco is a multidisciplinary artist that draws from their CHamoru heritage and Queer experiences. For Siongco, it is imperative that their work honors cultural customs that have survived throughout generations and that have been preserved in the face of colonial erasure. Without acknowledging these international practices and learning where they come from, their work would not hold the solid foundation it maintains as contemporary Pasifika art. Because of this, their work is able to take on new shapes and experimental forms, innovative combinations of materials, and the building of cross-cultural relationships that may not have happened otherwise.
Today, they have been weaving steadily for about fourteen years. However, their practice is not limited to hats, baskets, mats, and other conventional woven items. Expanding beyond recreating artifacts, they breathe new life into these techniques and artforms. They see weaving as soft sculpture and very innovative in nature, which lends a flexibility to their approach to weaving.
Beyond their contemporary visual art and larger installations, they also focus on Pasifika fashion that merges couture designs with hand-woven garments and accessories. With their keen understanding of the complex mechanics and mathematics of weaving, Siongco has created jaw-dropping all-woven gowns, harnesses, masks, and more.