Jeanette Gandionco Lazam is a longtime resident and community leader at San Francisco’s International Hotel (I-Hotel), a landmark of one of the most historic housing struggles in the United States. Now 76, Jeanette has spent her life fighting for social justice and equality for low-income tenants, workers, women, LGBTQ people, and communities of color. As both a survivor and defender of grassroots activism, she represents the enduring power of resistance, memory, and intergenerational care.

Artist Statement: My childhood was filled with mythical creatures that roamed the towns and cities in the Philippines; as such, I became fascinated with learning about these creatures, and one day, I hoped to meet them! Many years later, as an adult, I knew that could never happen, so I decided to draw them. 

These are the creatures of pre-colonial Philippines, a time long ago and somewhat forgotten, that I have brought to life for this special occasion. I've also added some non-Filipino creatures just to add more flair!

Jeanette Gandionco Lazam是舊金山國際飯店（I-Hotel）的一名長期住戶與社區領袖，該飯店作為美國最具歷史意義的住房抗爭地標之一，見證了無數草根運動的奮鬥。現已76歲的Jeanette，畢生致力為低收入租戶、勞工、女性、LGBTQ群體及有色人種社區爭取社會正義與平等。她既是基層抗爭的倖存者，也是堅定的捍衛者，體現了抵抗精神、歷史記憶與跨世代關懷的持久力量。

艺术家自述：

我的童年充斥着在菲律宾城镇与都市间游荡的神话生物；正因如此，我深深着迷于了解这些生物，并曾梦想有朝一日能遇见它们！多年后，长大成人的我明白这永远不可能实现，于是决定将它们画下来。

這些生物源自被殖民前的菲律賓，一段已被時光沖淡的遙遠歲月。為了這個特別的場合，我將它們重新喚醒於世。此外，我還加入了一些非菲律賓本土的神怪，只為增添更多奇幻色彩！