SOMA Pilipinas Gateway

Proposed Design

Filipino-American visual artist, Franceska Gamez, is designing our very first cultural district marker at Russ St. and Folsom St. Her design is inspired by Pagmamana, Tagalog for “inheritance”. The bronze hands reaching for each other shows a gesture called pagmamano- a practice n Filipino culture that is a sign of respect and an acceptance of blessings from the elders.

The latest iteration of "Pagmamana" is a deeper dive into the power of SOMA’s community, by symbolism of the sun and water.  A nod to the ethos  of “Tayo’y Amoy Araw”, the Philippine sun harnesses the sunshine and casts its shadow across the intersection. We are connected through water, from island to island, across seas and to the diaspora. Water moves through our bodies as it does through land, nourishing us with the knowledge passed down from our ancestors, merging with the experiences from our unique lifetime. The bronze hands tell the story of this exchange, our pamana and honoring through the gesture of pagmamano. Inspired by traditional wood relief carvings, the leaves surrounding the hands hold vignettes of our collective experiences. 

District Gateway inspiration

Get To Know The Artist

Franceska Gamez is a visual artist, born in Manila and raised the Bay Area. Both cultures nurtured her identity and practice as the artist she is today. You can find her creating large-scale public murals, fully immersive installations, and tiny palm-sized sculptures. Her work is characterized by an elegant blend of abstract and representational forms in which she tells stories, illuminating emotions that envelope them. Her practice in the arts has led to dynamic bouts in installation, carpentry, writing, curation, art conservation, and project management. Her mural work can be seen throughout California, the East Coast, as well as overseas in Europe and Southeast Asia.

Select Collaborations: Google Cloud, The California Endowment, California Humanities, California Medical Association, The California Rice Commission, Sacramento Region Community Foundation, California Faculty Association, Greenpeace DC, San Francisco Arts Commission, Asian American Women Artists Association (AAWAA), California Auto Museum, Covered California, Market 5-1-5, Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) LA.

Learn more at franceskagamez.com