As an arts teacher at the Philippine High School for the Arts, Alwin Reamillo (b. 1964–d. 2023, Philippines) developed an artistic practice centred on the pedagogy of creative play and mixed-media experimentations. A multifaceted artist, his work spanned painting, sculpture and installation, and he often initiated projects that incorporated these mediums with video and performance.

After migrating to Australia in 1995, Reamillo began exploring ideas about memory, mobility and cross-cultural exchange, and how they could change ways of thinking. In his later works, he dealt with the intertwined themes of colonisation, migration and the globalisation of culture. Reamillo facilitated projects with diverse communities across Australia and overseas, creating participatory “social sculptures.” These often took the form of vessels/crafts that responded to local contexts and histories. The projects were often developed through a process of what Reamillo called “hunting and gathering”—“hunting” for found materials and resources, and a “gathering” of people.

Reamillo participated in national and international exhibitions, collaborative projects and artist’s residencies in countries such as Australia, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan and Thailand. He was awarded the Freeman Foundation for Asian Artist Fellowship, Vermont Studio Center (United States) in 1996 and the Thirteen Artists Awards, Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1994.