Mary Lei Is Redesigning the Creative Script for Chinese-Filipino Artists

In celebration of World Watercolor Month, I found myself thinking back to last June, when I visited the mid-year exhibit of the Philippine Guild of Watercolorists. I had been moving from piece to piece, admiring each artist’s work and reading the accompanying descriptions, when one write-up made me stop. It wasn’t just the painting that struck me—though it was beautiful—it was also the voice behind it. The artist’s statement beside the piece was longer than the rest, more personal, more deliberate. It didn’t only explain the art; it revealed a purpose. I took a photo of both the piece and the placard.

Credits to Klariz Chen

The name beside it: Mary Lei. A Chinese-Filipino artist whose words spoke of advocacy, not just artistry. I reached out. And what followed was a conversation about creativity, constraint, and what it means to choose art within a culture that often expects otherwise.

Credits to Klariz Chen 

Growing Up Creative in a Culture of Caution

Mary Lei’s creative beginnings trace back to childhood—coloring books, drawings on scrap paper, and handmade crafts filled her earliest memories. “I would ask [my parents] to buy me some art materials, and I would just be happy to create anything,” she says. She explored crocheting and knitting early on, and in high school, her mother allowed her to take formal art classes under a Filipino-Spanish artist. That experience confirmed what she already felt: painting brought her joy, and she could see herself doing it long-term.

But growing up in a Chinese-Filipino household, creativity was rarely seen as a career. “They would say I can do my art but only as a hobby and not as a career,” she recalls. The idea of the “starving artist” loomed large—more cautionary tale than inspiration. “I knew I should only follow acceptable careers in Chinese families,” she says, listing doctor, lawyer, or business owner as the standard options.

That cultural pressure shaped her choices. While some of her peers pursued Interior Design, Mary enrolled in Industrial Design—a decision guided by her mother’s suggestion and seen as a more practical path. Her creative spirit remained intact, but her focus shifted. Her design career took off early when a woman from a Christmas décor export company noticed her student work and offered her a job. This led to internships in the furniture and ceramics industries, and eventually to a full-fledged career in product design, teaching, and consultancy.

Still, the pull of fine art never left.

Credits to Mary Lei

A Return to Painting—and to Herself

Years into her design and academic career, Lei admits she began to feel a sense of creative regret. “I still somehow regret that I did not spend more time in creating my art in painting and in sculpture,” she shares. The pandemic offered a shift in pace—and perspective. With more time to reflect and create, she returned to her first love. “It was when I discovered that ‘If not now, when?’ sank in real deep,” she says.

Credits to Mary Lei

That moment marked a turning point. She began painting more seriously, joining exhibitions and connecting with fellow creatives. “Last year, I started to join different organizations that are more into the art scene,” she says. Groups like the Philippine Guild of Watercolorists, The Outdoor Archivists, The Anvil of Creativity, The Academic Sketching Group, Grupong Tomasino, and The Tomasian Atelier provided not just community, but renewed energy for learning and practice. “Learning does not know any age,” she says. “It opened more doors for me in exhibitions and different events.”

Credits to Mary Lei

Working in watercolor, acrylic, oil, and sculpture, Mary embraces the way each medium offers a different expressive discipline. “These mediums have different discipline and flow to it that changes expressions,” she explains. Nature is a recurring theme in her work—birds, fish, and landscapes—and she’s also drawn to portraiture. 

Credits to Mary Lei

She recently began plein air painting, which challenges artists to capture light and emotion on-site and in real time. “Plein air captures the feeling, mood, atmospheric changes… and the art has to be finished once you go,” she shares.

More Than Art: Mary’s Mission to Inspire, Uplift, and Transform

For Mary, art is more than just a personal journey—it’s a way to create emotional impact and shift cultural perspectives. “Art has a power to ignite emotions,” she says. “It is a window to different perspectives and thoughts… transformational in a way that I see people going through a rough patch and when they see nice artworks, it has a meaningful way to uplift the soul.”

Her advocacy lies in using that emotional power to support others—especially young creatives navigating doubt, cultural pressure, or internalized fear. She also shares stories through vlogs, highlighting Chinese-Filipino designers to offer broader representation. “As an educator, I find it fulfilling to share more about art and design, especially with the Fil-Chi community,” she explains. “It is more challenging to be in the traditional [Chinese-Filipino] family to see the value in Art and Design. This is an avenue to change that stigma.”

Credits to Art by Lei 

She’s encouraged by the growing support for creative careers but believes there’s more to be done. “Perspectives are slowly changing,” she says, noting the increasing openness of creative communities. Still, she stresses the importance of valuing artistic labor. “People have to see your value and not ask for discounts or devalue your pieces,” she adds. “I hope more creatives get more recognized locally and internationally.”

To those at the beginning of their journey—especially those unsure if they’re allowed to take it—Lei offers hard-earned clarity: “Regret is something you did not do and not something you did,” she says. “Paint like no one is watching, paint like there is no tomorrow—because it makes you happy.”

If her story resonates with you, or if you share her belief in creating space for more artists and designers to thrive, you can follow and connect with Mary through her platforms:

• Facebook: Mary Lei ML Art & Design 
• Instagram: @marylei_art | @maryflorencelei 
• YouTube: Art by Lei  

About the Author