Meet Filipino visual artist, Margaret Morales

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi, I’m Margaret, I’m a visual artist from the Philippines specializing in watercolor illustrations. My art style is highly inspired by nature, anime, games, fantasy, and contemporary art. I love dogs, books and dark chocolates. When I’m not painting, I love to travel, binge tv/anime shows and geek around with my husband.

Describe the city you’re living in and what it’s like to live there.

Since we’re in the process of migrating, I have been living half of the year in Manila and the other half in New Jersey. I wanted to share the flavor of each place as an artist. Manila is where I grew up so it has always been my home and comfort zone. There’s a beauty to its chaos and there’s a lot of hidden gems to find. My life in New Jersey, on the other hand, is more close to nature, to the sea to be exact, hence, a little more relaxed.

My art style is highly inspired by nature, anime, games, fantasy, and contemporary art.

What is the best and worst thing about living in your city?

What I love in Manila – the people, the beaches, the diverse food, and affordable merchandise!

What I’m not so fond of – heavy traffic and hot weather.

What I love in NJ – it’s close to nature, to NYC and almost everything can be done online!

What I’m not so fond of – the cold winter nights, and you always need a car to go everywhere because the places are so far from each other.

Give us 3 words that describe what it’s like to be a creative in your city.

On both cities – Emerging, diverse and challenging.

How did you start your career in art?

I have always dreamt of becoming an artist, but I never thought it could actually happen. In the Philippines, when I was younger, pursuing Fine Arts was not viewed as a lucrative profession by our family. After graduating college, I worked as a Graphic Designer for a year before working as a User Interface Designer for another 4 years. Throughout these times, I have been constantly painting on the side and sharing it on social media. It started to grow from there and eventually, I came to a point that making art took more of my time. Even though my career in design was flourishing, I made the difficult choice and took the risk to start my career as a full-time professional artist. It was the best decision I have made so far!

Even though my career in design was flourishing, I made the difficult choice and took the risk to start my career as a full-time professional artist. It was the best decision I have made so far!

Were the people around you supportive of your decision on working as a creative?

Yes, very much! Especially my family, my friends and my husband.

What are some goals and ambitions you have for your future work?

Nothing is set in stone, but I would love to work on books and environment-related projects in the future. Currently, I’m focusing more on improving my art, exploring styles and learning different mediums.

Nothing is set in stone, but I would love to work on books and environment-related projects in the future. Currently, I’m focusing more on improving my art, exploring styles and learning different mediums.

If you could collaborate with any person in the world who would it be?

It’s hard to say as there’s a lot of people I really want to collaborate with!

How would you describe the women around you?

My mom, my grandmother, and my older sister have very strong personalities and their confidence in everything they do have really helped me to strive and aim to be better. I’m lucky to have such amazing role models in our family.

I’m lucky to have such amazing role models in our family.

Were there any local female creatives that you looked up to when you were growing up?

I remember it was Katrina Pallon. She was the reason why I changed my college course and started to pursue my passion for art.

Are there any challenging aspects of being a female in your industry?

Personally, I didn’t encounter any difficulties in being a female in both the design and art industries. Everyone has been very encouraging and helpful, which was remarkable.

Always have a positive attitude and keep on improving your craft as it’s your best investment.

Do you have any advice to young women who are aspiring to work in your field?

Keep doing what you love without expecting anything in return – everything will eventually fall into place. Focus on being the best at what you do and don’t get discouraged if you don’t immediately get the response you’re hoping for. Always have a positive attitude and keep on improving your craft as it’s your best investment.

Photos courtesy of Margaret Morales.