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senior thesis
One of the leading questions behind this body of work was, "Are you a real Filipino?" Despite speaking Tagalog, wearing a barong, and leading a cultural event on campus, I was still asked this question by an older Filipino woman. If the things I was doing didn't qualify as being a "real Filipino", then what does?
My thesis captured my exploration between my Filipino and American identity. I looked at my own experiences (and faced a few identity crises along the way) to pull meaningful events in hopes of finding an answer to that question. My work is narrative based and each piece contains a story.
Our virtual exhibit can be viewed here.
My artist statement can be read here.
a collaborative portrait project
larawan
I invited peers that knew me to varying degrees to take a portrait of me. I gave them a brief summary of what my thesis is about and gave them creative freedom to direct the photoshoot however they wanted, i.e., hair and makeup, environment, wardrobe, and facial expressions. I didn't want to sway them in any direction with my summary because I wanted my idea and their perception of it/me to guide their vision. I then edited all the photos and picked my favorite ones to include in the exhibit.
You can view the rest of the photos from each shoot here.
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embroidery project, 1/3
Karakol
This design was based on my experience participating in a municipality-wide celebration. The dress that I wore featured a similar teal and pink pattern and was adorned with a long, white tassel. The canvas is wrapped in mosquito netting, a product of Ibaan.
This design evokes a very vivid memory of that experience, from waking up multiple times due to my HMUA's alarms, the rush to get ready, and the nervousness I felt when I had to ride a float with a rather unstable flooring. This was the very first time that I had ever been involved in a cultural celebration like this and I was honored to be specifically chosen. It was wonderful seeing all the townspeople (hundreds of them!) coming together in dance, song, and spoken word poetry in celebration of the municipality itself.
Apparently there was drama behind my selection...
embroidery project, 2/3
flores
This design is based on the very first cultural celebration I had ever participated in. The Flores de Mayo is an annual celebration of the Virgin Mary. In my neighborhood, I was given the opportunity to dress as the Reyna Flores and walk in a procession with other youths in my neighborhood.
I can still remember the frustration I had with my designer. I really loved the florals of a dress designed by Chico Estiva and showed that to her as my inspo pic. Unfortunately, she made many unapproved changes to the design and because of that, the overall dress was rushed and did not turn out the way it should have. I underestimated the length of the procession and was glad I chose shorter heels rather than the 5-6 inch ones I would normally opt for.
embroidery project, 3/3
elena
This design is based on a gown that I wore for an event in tandem with Karakol. The church of Ibaan had its bicentennial celebration and I was chosen to represent Reyna Helena in the procession.
I can still remember getting ready for this event. We decided that I would do my own hair and make up for this event rather than get an HMUA. I got dressed in one of the rooms in the church and walked in a 2 hour procession in 6 inch heels. Prior to the procession we took a lot of pictures at the alter as well as the front of the church. I can't explain how tired I was after that because I could not stand up at all.
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sewing project
kumot
I had the idea of sewing a quilt in the back of my mind forever but was intimidated after a senior artist told my how much work it truly is. I ended up working on this project for 3 days straight and got major pain in my left wrist.
The textiles included in this quilt are: mosquito nets in various colors, cotton, cotton mosquito net, pinya cocon/barong fabric, and 3x3 blanket that's commonly found in Filipino households. I then embroidered various symbols on top (sun, stars, fish, mango, and poinsettia) of items of importance to me.
Unfortunately, ironing is not an option since the colorful mosquito nets are made of plastic and would melt.
