2021 Scholarship Awardee

Mary Lou Cabio

My name is Meryl Lou Cabio but I go by Royal Sumikat. I was born in the Philippines at the tail end of martial law. Due to the economic collapse caused by the dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, my family was displaced twice; once from our motherland and once when massive layoffs in Saudi Arabia forced my father to seek new opportunities in America. We’ve called Houston home since 1995. Growing up, my parents purchased drawing pads and crayons for me not because they wanted to cultivate my artistic endeavors but as a means to keep me from consuming too much television. Since 2012, my main art disciplines are murals and paintings. Art was always something I did when I had time but this June, I quit my analyst job to go to school and become an EMT. Currently I am unemployed and learning what it feels like to rest since I first had my job. My plan is to work less and devote the rest of the time learning, experimenting, and expanding my art knowledge and portfolio as the pandemic portal brought massive changes in the world and in my life spiritually and mentally. I became a community organizer in the midst of this pandemic and along with other folks I met, we created a coalition in direct support of our houseless community members in and around Houston. I trust the lessons and experiences I went through during this period can inform a new body of work as the world emerges from the chrysalis.

https://alternateroyality.com