About Me

MAARTE PABEBE

Hello!

My name is Anne (she/her) and I am a first generation Filipino-Canadian and multi-media artist based in Toronto. Also recently graduated with a BA majoring in Philosophy at Ryerson University.

What started as an occasional hobby has flourished into a passion project! With these trinket dishes, ashtrays, and incense holders, I was able to combine my love of painting with my infatuation with sculpting; clay is something my lovely sister introduced to me whilst we were in our second lockdown

Why Maarte Pabebe?

Maarte has a double meaning: on one hand it means “artsy”, but one the other hand, it could mean picky or pretentious.
Pabebe ultimately means to act cute like a baby, to be sweet and innocent; but the word has morphed into a sort of subculture of girls back in the Philippines.

Growing up as a vegetarian with an ED (unbenounced to my family), I was often called maarte for not eating the foods my mom or grandmother cooked. They thought it was just me being picky or unappreciative of the food. And of course, I was also known for being maarte due to my love of art.

I definitely identified myself to the pabebe culture I grew up watching on Filipino channels. The term Pabebe, was previously known to have bad implications; calling someone pabebe, or saying they acted pabebe meant they were annoying or childish. However, It was popularized now by the "Pabebe Girls" who famously told people to leave them alone for being "pabebe," saying walang makakapigil sa amin (translation: Nothing can stop us). 

Naturally, identifying myself as maarte pabebe is me reclaiming the "bad" connotations I grew up with. 

Alongside my own works, this space will be featuring other brilliant artists (such as Erika's Candles), where 100% of the sales made on all their products will be going to them directly. 

Hope these dishes brings you as much joy as it has brought me making them! I promise all dishes are made with love and the utmost care ♡