Mother Lines Mandala: Mapping the Women Who Shaped Us

Mother Lines Mandala: Mapping the Women Who Shaped Us is a reflective collage-and-drawing workshop inviting participants to create a personal mandala of influence—a circular map honoring the women who have shaped, guided, supported, or inspired them. These may include mothers, grandmothers, aunties, titas, mentors, teachers, neighbors, friends, caregivers, and chosen family.

Participants begin by placing themselves at the center of the page.

From there, they build concentric circles, each ring representing women of different influence or presence in their lives. Through cut and torn paper, simple collage shapes, drawn lines, colors, and symbolic icons, participants create a layered mandala that reflects connection, memory, and gratitude.

The workshop ends with an optional sharing circle, where participants may speak about one woman from their mandala and share a memory, value, or lesson they carry forward.

Paulina Constancia is a multidisciplinary naïf artist, storyteller, and community arts facilitator originally from Cebu, Philippines, and now based in Canada. Working in textile collage and mixed media, she uses salvaged fabrics, stitching, and layered materials to create vibrant works inspired by family, memory, migration, and everyday life. A largely self-taught artist, her work is rooted in intuitive making and storytelling across cultures.

She maintains an active art practice in Canada and internationally, and recently presented retrospectives at the Musée international d’art naïf de Magog (Québec) and the Cebu City Museum (Philippines). This workshop is part of a Toronto series connected to her exhibition MOMents, on view April 28–May 12 at the Women’s Art Association of Canada. Alongside her studio work, she facilitates inclusive community workshops that bring people together through creativity, reflection, and shared stories.

HAPPENING Multicultural Festival is a celebration of immigrant, refugee, and newcomer artists in Toronto. Organized by MUSE Arts, the festival brings together diverse voices through interactive workshops, exhibitions, performances, and community gatherings. It is a joyful, inclusive space where creativity thrives, stories are shared, and communities are strengthened through the arts. The festival’s mission is to amplify underrepresented voices and build bridges across cultures using the power of art.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher MUSE Arts