Photo by Nifemi Madarikan
Heidi Grace Acuña is an artist who creates to live. Born in Federal Way, Washington to immigrant Filipino parents, and raised on O‘ahu since one year old, Heidi felt disconnected to a true sense of home and belonging. Now, Heidi makes art that finds the beauty in the multiplicities of identity, culture, gender, and home. HGA’s interdisciplinary work in ceramic sculpture, fashion design, installation, and performance aims to create a legacy for our descendants where they may thrive beyond borders of identity, place, or possibility.
HGA creates 1-of-1 clothes for 1-of-1 humans. With a focus on intentionality, sustainability, and individuality, HGA offers one-of-a-kind ready-to-wear garments and accessories, custom garments, embellishments, pop-ups, and fashion shows.
HGA is currently working on their first solo exhibition in Seattle titled Buwaya Baby, opening on September 3. This interdisciplinary exhibit features textile and television installations and ceramic sculpture offerings. This interdisciplinary installation will culminate to a free, all-ages fashion-based show on October 1. We invite you to experience this exhibit and free events at King Street Station as part of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture’s "We Still Dream A Future" 2026 programming. (More related exhibit events to be announced soon!)
Interested in supporting HGA’s work? Email us for sponsorship, patronage, or donations at: info@heidigraceacuna.com
Curriculum Vitae
Solo Exhibitions, Installations, & Activations
2026 - (Upcoming) Buwaya Baby, ARTS at King Street Station Gallery, Seattle, WA
2026 - One World, Seattle Exhibition Hall, Seattle, WA
2025 - Living Waling Waling!, Seattle Center Mural Amphitheatre, Seattle, WA
2022 - LUSH, Viking Union Gallery, Bellingham, WA
Grants, Awards, & Residencies
2026 - (Upcoming) Artist in Residence, ARTS at King Street Station, Seattle, WA
2026 - We Still Dream A Future, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle, WA
2025 - Heritage Grant, 4Culture, Seattle, WA
2025 - Artists at the Center, Office of Arts & Culture + Seattle Center, Seattle, WA
2024 - Collective Power Fund, NW Film Forum + Andy Warhol Foundation, Seattle, WA
2024 - Cultural Producers Recovery Fund, 4Culture, Seattle, WA
2024 - Emerging Artist Scholarship Finalist, Gallery 110, Seattle, WA
2024 - smART Ventures Grant, Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle, WA
2024 - Fashion Finalist, Fruit Bowl, Seattle, WA
2023 - smART Ventures Grant, Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle, WA
2023 - Celebrate Art/sts Grant, The Feels Foundation, Seattle, WA
2022 - Edwin T. Pratt Scholarship, Pratt Fine Arts Center, Seattle, WA
2019 - Steamroller Printing Design Contest, North Seattle College, Seattle, WA
2018 - People's Choice Award, NSC Art Gallery, Seattle, WA
Collections
North Seattle College Art Collection, Seattle, WA
Waianae Public Library, Waianae, HI
Paruparo Collective, Portland, OR
Ho'okipa Center, Waipahu, HI
Selected Group Exhibitions
2026 - arise, beloved, Prairie Underground, Seattle, WA
2026 - held / hidden, Canopy Gallery, New York, NY
2025 - Second Skin, The Fishbowl, Seattle, WA
2024 - comfi.space, The Fishbowl, Seattle, WA
2024 - Life After Occupation: Liberation Art Show, Māʻili Community Center, Waiʻanae, HI
2024 - Emerging Artist Exhibition, Gallery 110, Seattle, WA
2024 - Still In Our Feels, AXIS Gallery, Seattle, WA
2023 - Seattle: City of the Future, The Teal Building, Seattle, WA
2023 - Artists of Color Expo, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, Seattle, WA
2023 - Have You Eaten: Meryenda, Kasama Space, Seattle, WA
2023 - The Feels VII, AXIS Gallery, Seattle, WA
2022 - Tidal Three, Jacob Lawrence Gallery, Seattle, WA
2022 - Sojourn, UW3D4M North Gallery, Seattle, WA
2022 - makeSPACE, Gallery 224, Philadelphia, PA
2022 - Looking Forward, Sandpoint Gallery, Seattle, WA
2020 - Somatic/Asymptotic: 3D4M Undergraduate Juried Exhibition, South Gallery, Seattle, WA
2019 - NSC Juried Student Art Exhibition, NSC Art Gallery, Seattle, WA
2019 - 8x8 - Building Community Through Proximity, ACES, Seattle, WA
Teaching + Demonstrations
2026 - Linocut Instructor, Tacoma Arts Live, Tacoma, WA, Apr 11
2025 - Sewing Instructor, Sustainable Style Seattle. Common Area Maintanence, Seattle, WA, May 17 & 18
2024 - Young Choreographers Club: Fashion Facilitator, Velocity Dance Center, Seattle, WA, Feb 24
2023 - Art Instructor, Teen Art Studio, Gage Academy, Seattle, WA, July 7-28
2023 - Art Instructor, Teen Art Studio, Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA, May 19-Jun 16
2023 - Printmaking Instructor, Teen Takeover, Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA, May 19
2023 - Art Instructor, Art Together at Aki Kurose Middle School, Seattle, WA, April 17-May 8
2021 - ReWerkshop Instructor, Tacoma Sunday Market, Tacoma, WA, Nov 21
2019 - Decal Demonstration, North Seattle College, Seattle, WA, Jun 13
Artist Talks + Panels
2024 - House of Kilig - Guest on “Navigating Oceania”, Daybreak Star Radio, Seattle, WA
2023 - Artist Panel: Make Banana Cry, On The Boards, Seattle, WA, Nov 9
2023 - Guest Professional Speaker, Filipinx American U.S. History Course, Apr 19+20
2022 - Artist Talk, Viking Union Gallery, Bellingham, WA, Oct 26
2021 - After NSC: An Art Alumni Panel Discussion, NSC Art Gallery, Seattle, WA, May 24
2019 - Artist Talk, Licton Springs Review Launch Party, Seattle, WA, May 30
2018 - Artist Talk, North Seattle College Art Gallery, Seattle, WA, May 30
Publications + Articles + Features
2025 - The Evergreen Echo, “Upcycled and AAPI Fashion Converge with Acuña’s Orchid Motif”
2025 - The Evergreen Echo, “Living Waling Waling: Acuña’s Runway Nurtures Filipino Intersectionality”
2024 - The Feels Foundation, "Filipino American Feels Alum"
2024 - KHÔRA, "buwaya baby", Featured Artist, Sept 2024 / Issue 37
2024 - SD Voyager, "Check Out Heidi Grace Acuña’s Story"
2024 - Ancient Technology News, “Constantly Becoming”, Springs 2024 Issue 1
2024 - The Evergreen Echo, “Acuña: A Questioner & A Teacher”
2023 - Shoutout SoCal, “Meet Heidi Grace Acuña | Artist, Stylist, Fashion Designer”
2022 - The Front, "’I’m someone who creates in order to live:’ “LUSH” opens in VU gallery”
2019 - Elijah Janka Garrard, “The World From a Different Angle”, Licton Springs Review pg 2
2019 - Elijah Janka Garrard, “Bloom”, Licton Springs Review pg 56
2018 - Patrick Toney, “Big Head”, Licton Springs Review pg 5
Education + Training
2025 - Canopy Program, NYC Crit Club, New York, NY (Virtual)
2022 - BA, Art: Interdisciplinary Visual Art, Minor: Art History, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA
2019 - AA, English, North Seattle College, Seattle, WA
2017 - Sewing Techniques, New York Fashion Academy, Seattle, WA