Meet Lenny

The Hands Behind Coleela

I’m Lenny Onangey Mendoza, a bookbinder and textile artist who took the long way from a Pharmacy degree to the work that has always felt natural to me—stitching things together. I find comfort in mending socks, binding pages, and patchworking old fabrics into art, a love that feels rooted in where I come from.

I carry with me the roots of my parents from Sagada and Besao in Mt. Province, and the childhood I spent in Lepanto, Mankayan, Benguet—a mining community and a true melting pot of cultures and values. Growing up there taught me to honor tradition, cherish my Cordilleran heritage, and appreciate the beauty of other cultures woven into everyday life.

Now a mother of two school-age girls, I create in the pockets of time between school runs and house chores, with my programmer husband keeping life light and grounded.

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This is where I share my thoughts, the quiet unfolding of my projects, and the pieces I make with my hands—some of which find new homes with people who appreciate them.

Thanks for being here. If you’re new, welcome. If you’ve been quietly cheering me on already, I’m glad you’re part of this.

Lenny