Herstory

Lydia Querian is Elle Karayan and "karayan" means river in one of the languages she knows from the Philippines. A multifaceted artist known for her groundbreaking work in realms of fashion, dance, music and art production. With her visionary approach, she is a Telly Award winning artist who has created a mark on the cultural landscape of the Filipinx diasporic community by promoting pre-Philippine Indigenous living traditions. 

Born and raised in the heart of Metro Manila, Philippines, her early experiences were steeped in the balance of urban culture along with the influence of her family’s ancestral practices even after migrating from their respective provinces. In 2010, her journey to migrate to California was a transformative experience through gradually understanding the nuances and contrasting perspectives between her homeland and the Filipinx diasporic community. This served as a catalyst for her continuous evolution and work. 

As a dance artist, Lydia toured both nationally and internationally alongside respected groups such as Dancing Earth, Kularts, Parangal Dance Company, Fusion Dance Project and San Francisco Kulintang Legacy. Her artistic presences graced several stages including Smithsonian FolkLife, Merrie Monarch, Folk Faro Portugal and Danza in Spain. 

Her community work extends beyond stage co-founding organization and chairing others with programs that became pillars in the Filipinx diasporic community both in California and Hawaii including the only Kulintang Festival in North America - Gongster’s Paradise and Uni at Ugat, the only Filipino Indigenous focused music camp in North America. 

In fashion, her work has been featured in fashion week runways in New York and Paris and has been featured as a designer in Vogue, Preview and Huffington Post. 

She believes that by marrying timeless Indigenous wisdom with art forms of the present, we stand as ambassadors of tradition, protectors of the environment and champions of change.