Words and Images Justin Nuyda Estate
Editing Gabrielle de la Cruz
“My father has always been an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community,” opens Ayni Nuyda, Search Mindscape Founder and Project Director and daughter of the late artist and lepidopterist Justin Nuyda (1944 to 2022). “He embraced individuality and helmed spaces and concepts like the Hobbit House that made everyone feel safe and welcome.”
“As a lepidopterist, butterflies–a species that carries both male and female traits–constantly fascinated him,” she continues. “To him, they embody something rare, wondrous, and worthy of being regarded with reverence. That same quiet strength pulses beneath PRIDE.”
In celebration of Pride Month, the Nuyda Estate releases open edition archival prints of Justin Nuyda’s PRIDE, a 36 by 48 inches oil on canvas piece that marked the artist’s “quiet, triumphant return to the studio.” Ayni describes the artwork as “a reflection on different colors, navigating different directions, yet always connected. The circular shapes reveal my dad’s sensitivity to transformations, refracting light and presence without spectacle.”
PRIDE was recently selected as the cover of a newly launched legal guidebook for the LGBTQIA+ community entitled “Justice with Pride: LGBTQIA+ Community Legal Guidebook in the Philippines.”
The guidebook is an initiative led by Zamboanga City-based NGO, Mujer LGBT+, aiming to empower the community with useful tools that shed light on basic legal rights and protections of LGBTQIA+ individuals in the Philippines. It was published in partnership with the British Embassy, TrustLaw, Thomson Reuters Foundation, and SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan.
“Many LGBTQIA+ people, especially in our communities, experience discrimination but don’t know what to do or who to ask. Legal information often feels too technical or out of reach,” shared Toni Gee Fernandez of Mujer LGBT+. “So, we created this guidebook to make legal knowledge accessible and to help LGBTQIA+ individuals feel more confident in asserting their rights.”
Above: Ayni Nuyda (second from the right) with Indigenous Moro Human Rights defender Rhadem Musawah (leftmost) and Toni Gee Fernandes (rightmost), along with Justice with PRIDE publishers. Below: Unveiling of the LGBTQIA+ guidebook cover.
Nuyda Estate partnered with Mujer LGBT+ to support their cause, with every order of a PRIDE print accompanied by a copy of the guidebook. “We are committed to distributing a copy for every order of a PRIDE archival print. More than that, we also want to continue exploring how we can truly support the community by tapping legal guidance, policy, and diplomacy.”
The original painting will remain with the Nuyda family, who share that they decided to launch prints to make the artwork and its message more accessible to everyone. “It aims to inspire audiences to ponder concepts of identity, spirit, survival, and connectedness.”
Artworks from Justin Nuyda’s Search Mindscape series. Images from Justin Nuyda’s Instagram. “He was largely inspired by CDs for PRIDE,” Ayni continues. “For most of his spherical images, he drew from vinyl records, pencil shavings, shells and the symmetry of butterfly wings.”
A short video shot by multidisciplinary artist Bimpoman with production by Triangulum accompanies the release of Nuyda’s PRIDE open edition archival prints. The short film zooms in on intimate details like colors, strokes, curves, and gradients that reveal the artist’s personal reflections and internal conversations. It finds its voice through a poem written by his daughter Ayni, narrated by his grandson, Henry.
The Nuyda Estate ends: “More than a special or yearly celebration, PRIDE is a celebration of life and the countless ways we honor our unique journeys. The introduction of PRIDE prints hopes to amplify queer-centric conversations and asks: ‘How do you celebrate your most authentic self? Beyond Pride Month, how do we actively support the LGBTQIA+ community?’” •
PRIDE open edition archival prints are available at www.justinnuyda.com. Visit this link to access Justice with Pride: LGBTQIA+ Community Legal Guidebook in the Philippines.
