What Happened (T)Here? (Boaya)

2021

necklace

Vacuum formed brass and plastic colored pencil, cotton string, rice, polymer clay, and acrylic paint

12” X 9” inches

Narratives of history and colonization are portrayed differently across the globe. I experienced the dissonance and disconnection this creates first hand as a Filipino-American who grew up in both the Philippines and the United States. This work explores those feelings as I grapple with a heritage that feels at times out of reach. 

In the Philippines, we were taught as young children the effects war had on the Islands; how for centuries my ancestors bled to see the Philippines free from the exploitative and deadly rule of imperialistic nations. Those teachings left out much of what the lives were of the Islanders before colonization. On the other hand, in The States it wasn't until I started college that the history of the Philippines was even barely mentioned. The sum of which was butchered statements of what happened during the Philippine’s Spanish, American, and Japanese War. Through all of this I felt a void of understanding of what happened to my ancestors, who that makes me today as a Filipino-American, and what that means for our collective future of Filipinos in the diaspora.

I express my dissonance with the experiences I have with being “neither here nor there”. This necklace shows elements of war- of western and eastern conflicts that reflect the internal and external battles felt by not just me but other Filipinos. I incorporated elements from the traditional Filipino jewelry, the boaya, worn by head hunting warriors. These elements are mixed in with imagery of conflict such as the flags of the countries that colonized the Philippines which replace the usual teeth ornamentation. Though the teeth on the boaya are usually displayed on the body hanging downward, these teeth hang upside down, sharp end pointed at the neck  threatening the wearer. The three humanoid figures, the Anitos, representing the ancestors hang upside down as well, mimicking the “see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil” motif. This reflects my feelings towards the general lack of knowledge of our history and how this might affect current and future generations. With the question being asked, What Happened There? I ask what happened in the Islands that are now so far away from me through time and distance, and with alternatively What Happened Here? I ask how this all affects me internally. Despite the grim history of war, I use my heritage pride and sense of curiosity as an anchor of hope for a more harmonious future, through exploring the past and its effects on me today.

Bolo Lingling-O

2021

Necklace

Casted aluminum and paracord bolo

12” X 6” inches

The Bolo Lingling-O expresses my complex experience as a Filipino-American. A hybrid of a lingling-o and a bolo tie, it has both elements of western and eastern culture, masculine and feminine, ancient and modern. This jewelry is a symbol of conflict. It is raw, misshapen, and the characters are at war with each other. Lingling-o's are a traditional amulet worn as earrings or as pendants throughout the history of the Philippines, predominantly by the Igorots.They were given as gifts to newly weds, used for fertility, goodluck, protection of the spirit of our ancestors (Anitos) that is said to live inside it, to show class, and power. Today they are also worn for heritage pride. They are traditionally symmetrical, smooth, and polished. Warping this symbol is how I show my experience being removed from my heritage and trying to understand where I came from despite language barriers and now living in America. I found a lot of frustration particularly trying to educate myself over the history of the Philippines before colonial influences. The humanoid figure is representative of the anitos and the rich culture of the Philippines. Here they are frightened by what looms over them, longhorn bulls representing western colonization and how it overpowers and threatens much of pre-colonial history. The inside of what should be the lingling-o is representative of the feminine but here it is shriveled and misformed. The outside’s strong metal is representative of the masculine but here it overpowers with two phalluses, throwing off the balance of nature and community. The pendant weighs heavy on the chest and neck, while the neon green and purple paracord clashes with traditions with a modern material. The tassel ends are a bullet and spearhead, symbolizing the long history of war that still revolves around the inner and outer conflicts of today as a Filipino in the diaspora.

Babayin Initials

2020

Pin

Copper and enamel

1” X 0.5” inches

This pin has my initials in Babayin, a script of the Philippines before the introduction of the Latin alphabet during the Spanish colonialization.

Wiggly person

2020

Pin

Brass and resin

1” X 0.5” inches

HOLDING THE SEED

2019

Ring

Silver

2” X 2” inches

The onyx stone sitting in the middle of the ring is representative of a seed, where two hands are caressing and protecting it. The preservation of the seed is what will give it the chance to grow once it can be planted. The seed represents a relationship, be that with a romantic partner, friend, family, and the self. We must support it with love and care in order for it to bloom.

Visayan Cuff

2019

Cuff

Copper

3” X 3” inches

Visayas is a region of the Philippines where my mother's family is from. In this region there were popular design patters that were used in textiles and tattoos. Two deigns are present on here, that of the flower, which represents the traveler, and the teeth, which represent the crocodile granting the wearer strength.