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UKAI
UKAI is a play on the word “ukay-ukay,” which refers to the secondhand market in the Philippines where imported used clothing, shoes, bags, and other accessories are sold at low prices. Derived from the Filipino word halukay, meaning “to dig up,” the term also has connections to wagwag (snapping clothes to dust them off) and SM (short for segunda mano, or secondhand), a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Philippine retail giant Shoemart. "Ukay-ukay" can describe the items themselves, the shops, or the act of shopping.



About UKAI Initiative

The UKAI (Unearthing Knowledge, Arts and Interdependence) Initiative brings visibility to the transnational systems of secondhand clothing exchange and informal economies. It raises awareness of how patterns of consumption and discard in the Global North contribute to waste colonialism. Through creative repurposing, UKAI aims to inspire meaningful interventions that call for corporate and state accountability while empowering the global Filipino community. In response to the environmental crises disproportionately affecting Filipinos, the initiative centers interdependence as key to resilience.

This project includes the works of artists Marion Aguas, Rennel Lavilla, Cecilia Lim, Abby Manwiller, Mari Islas-Hall, Ryan Santos Phillips, Gisela Zuniga, Glenn Philip Martinez Aquino, Eyecan Creatives, and Jaclyn Reyes, as well as the efforts of cultural workers Marika Constantino, Kris Viel Cañete, Christina Cañete, Princess Casas, Tsering Llama, Ashlee Barker, Alice Dugan, Andre Zarate, Jam Moreno, Sorhaila "Sor" Latip-Yusoph, Maria Liza Sumonod, Ezra Undag and more.