photo by V Babida
Heidi Grace Acuña (HGA/they/she) is an artist who “creates to live” for their mental health, for their communities, and to honor their life calling. 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, imperfections, and expansiveness of identity, culture, gender, and home. Heidi’s dimensional work in ceramic sculpture, textiles, painting, and printmaking is inspired by the diverse tropical colors of her island homes, living in diaspora, and the need for connection.
HGA is a 2025 Canopy Program artist, 2025 Artists at the Center artist, 2024 Collective Power Fund recipient , 2024 Gallery 110 Emerging Artist , and a 2024 Fruit Bowl finalist. Heidi is a published artist whose work is part of the North Seattle College Permanent Art Collection. In 2022, they received the Edwin T. Pratt Scholarship and had their first solo show (LUSH) at Western Washington University.
As a teaching artist, public speaker, and community collaborator, Heidi has worked with Bellevue Arts Museum, Gage Academy, The Feels Foundation, Tacoma Sunday Market, Seattle Public Schools, North Seattle College, Velocity Dance Center, and On The Boards. Heidi is a founding member and Co-Artistic Director for the QT arts collective House of Kilig where she collaborates as a costume designer and installation artist.
Heidi holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts and Art History minor from the University of Washington and an AA in English from North Seattle College. Heidi currently lives and works between Seattle and the Philippines.
HGA in her art studio.
Heidi sitting in front of their tapestry paruparo-paruparo-paruparo
photo by @films.bysam