"Food tastes better this way." Painting

I am the first born child of an immigrant. My mother immigrated to Montana in the 1990’s after having an arranged marriage with my father. As their mixed-race child, I reflect on my upbringing by visualizing memories and shared family stories through the subtle and effective body language of hands. I am interested in capturing the seemingly-mundane moments of how culture persists and is practiced through generations in the diaspora. Follow along @aprilwerle — Listed in 10 artists to watch from Saatchi’s The Other Art Fair by Decor News Now, April Werle is an emerging Filipino American Painter. As a recipient of the Montana Arts Council ARPA Grant, Werle featured her first major solo exhibition, Mga Hunghong Sa Diwata (Whispers of Spirits), in 2022 at the Holter Museum of Art. Werle’s paintings have been exhibited frequently in the American West, including the Holter Museum of Art, Missoula Art Museum, and The Other Art Fair Los Angeles. Her paintings have sold to private collectors nationwide. Werle is also passionate about uplifting her community and has been featured by many Filipino American brands, publications, and organizations such as Kuyate, The Filipino American Woman Project, Partially Pinoy, and Kapwa Magazine to name a few. In addition to her studio practice, Werle has established, designed, and implemented several racial equity art programs such as the BIPOC Arts Advisory Council, COHESION Art Collective, and the MCPS BIPOC Student Mural Program in her local community. She currently co-chairs the COHESION Art Collective Advisory Committee and serves on the Pinaysphere Creative Committee based in Los Angeles. April Werle currently lives and works in Missoula, Montana.