Haraya Corazon Ocampo Tejido (b.1981) received her Marketing Management degree from the De La Salle University Manila in 2002. She unofficially started her art practice back in 2009 as a studio apprentice for visual artist Jomike Tejido, her spouse. Working on several pieces every month helped Haraya hone her skills, “as if it were art classes conveniently situated in our home studio” she narrates. In 2021, after more than a decade of working as an apprentice, Haraya ventured signing her own pieces that reflect her personal interests. Incidentally, opportunities for group shows arose, and from these foundations, her latest works have come to bloom.

Haraya describes her oeuvre as whimsical and stylized. Inspired by the beauty of nature, her flowers are graphical depictions of their real counterparts, intentionally shedding itself from the bounds of realism with her signature essential forms and uplifting color schemes. She intends for these blooms to serve as sources of strength, as well as provide healing refuge for one’s eyes can rest. In connection to nature, motherhood encapsulated the context and point of view of Haraya’s credibility as a painter. Her use of a bright color palette and soft brushstrokes juxtapose a mother’s affectionate gaze with a child’s earnest expression.