From Barangays to Big Cities
Faculty Mentor Name
Merrill Schleier
Additional Faculty Mentor Name
Daniel Kasser
Abstract/Artist Statement
The central theme of this series concerns the gender roles of women in the Filipino culture. Since Filipinos have been in America, men were encouraged to pursue their dreams, while they left their wives, sisters, mothers, at home or at lower paying jobs. These women allowed their counterparts to succeed, while they stayed behind and tended to the home and family, putting their own desires on hold. I found that this pattern still occurs in many Filipino families. After reading Filipina-American writer, spoken word artist, and social-change advocate, Ruby Veridiano’s “A Letter to Filipina Women,” I realized that although historically Filipina women are giving and altruistic, they are at the point when they are leaving their assumed roles and starting to take control of their lives. The title “From Barangays (small towns) to Big Cities” is meant to echo the changing roles and ideals of Filipina women. Through photography, I aim to show the interaction between traditional Filipina women and her independent, modern counterpart. The women shown in these photographs are dressed in two ways -- in traditional Filipino folk dance costumes, and in modern and/or professional attire. The traditional woman is in gray scale and slightly transparent, to show that she is a past self, which is layered on top of the modern woman who is shown prominently in full color. These photographs aim to pay homage to these traditional women who have served as teachers and guides, but also to show the emergence of modern Filipina women. My artistic inspirations include the mixed media work of Terry Acebeo Davis, and the written work and experiences of Ruby Veridiano and Kathryn Bermoy’s “Beyond Severances,” a senior thesis written at UOP. Davis’s layered photographs and prints on a single canvas inspired me to use a similar strategy. I also found inspiration for my work in Kilusan Pilipino, the Filipino cultural club on the UOP campus, where I learned many traditional folk dances. Perhaps my strongest connection to the Filipino culture was through the dances that I learned, which I incorporated into this series. I chose to depict traditional Filipina women by dressing them in traditional folk dance costumes, and posing them as if they were performing specific dances.
Location
Reynolds Gallery
Start Date
17-4-2013 6:00 PM
End Date
17-4-2013 8:00 PM
From Barangays to Big Cities
Reynolds Gallery
The central theme of this series concerns the gender roles of women in the Filipino culture. Since Filipinos have been in America, men were encouraged to pursue their dreams, while they left their wives, sisters, mothers, at home or at lower paying jobs. These women allowed their counterparts to succeed, while they stayed behind and tended to the home and family, putting their own desires on hold. I found that this pattern still occurs in many Filipino families. After reading Filipina-American writer, spoken word artist, and social-change advocate, Ruby Veridiano’s “A Letter to Filipina Women,” I realized that although historically Filipina women are giving and altruistic, they are at the point when they are leaving their assumed roles and starting to take control of their lives. The title “From Barangays (small towns) to Big Cities” is meant to echo the changing roles and ideals of Filipina women. Through photography, I aim to show the interaction between traditional Filipina women and her independent, modern counterpart. The women shown in these photographs are dressed in two ways -- in traditional Filipino folk dance costumes, and in modern and/or professional attire. The traditional woman is in gray scale and slightly transparent, to show that she is a past self, which is layered on top of the modern woman who is shown prominently in full color. These photographs aim to pay homage to these traditional women who have served as teachers and guides, but also to show the emergence of modern Filipina women. My artistic inspirations include the mixed media work of Terry Acebeo Davis, and the written work and experiences of Ruby Veridiano and Kathryn Bermoy’s “Beyond Severances,” a senior thesis written at UOP. Davis’s layered photographs and prints on a single canvas inspired me to use a similar strategy. I also found inspiration for my work in Kilusan Pilipino, the Filipino cultural club on the UOP campus, where I learned many traditional folk dances. Perhaps my strongest connection to the Filipino culture was through the dances that I learned, which I incorporated into this series. I chose to depict traditional Filipina women by dressing them in traditional folk dance costumes, and posing them as if they were performing specific dances.