Jessa Mae Mendiola was born in the island of Leyte in the Philippines. At the age of seven, she immigrated to the United States  with her family. As she moved to America at a young age , she did not have the opportunity to discover her Filipino heritage, history, and culture. Thus, she is reconnecting with her birth country by creating artworks that involve socio-political issues, Filipino-American identity, immigration, cultural practices, and colonialism. Jessa Mae Mendiola  works with a variety of mediums such as paintings, drawings, sculpture, and installations.