Within an empty room, a silent moment, the stillness of time, I find myself at home and invite everyone inside. My work is made up of narratives constructed within a space of liminal existence that many first and second generation Filipino Americans find hauntingly familiar. Here, I desire to depict what can no longer be seen, like moments beyond the boundary of a family photo, a missed journal entry, or a loved one. Somewhat like the memories–or lack thereof–that inspire my work, I offer the opportunity to imagine and make indiscernible silhouettes and spaces visible.

The article “Boxed In or Boxed Out” describes balik bayan boxes as a metaphor for the transitional existence of many Filipino Americans.They are “caught between the nostalgia of their old homes and the reality of their new homes.” For us, home has never been a physical location, and has always been constructed by family, companions, and acts of care. There is no escape from liminality, and transition becomes permanent. To create this work was to make the liminal and transitional space I experience permanent, to make the unseen, unspoken, and forgotten within a home tangible. If you’d like to read more about the process, please scroll past the pictures below.

Here and There and Nowhere (Wall Tapestry): The motifs in this piece come from the visual language within my sketchbook. To create the jacquard pattern, they were then scanned and carefully manipulated in Adobe Illustrator to preserve and enhance the energy of the original sketches in the final piece. Materials: Wool, Cotton

Distant Companion (Lamp): In collaboration with Mia Wang (RISD Furniture Design ‘24), I designed, constructed, and applied the textile fabric for the lampshade. Using a domestic double-bed knitting machine, the fabric consists grid-like pockets that give the bulbous shape texture and the light dimension. The fabric is hand-sewn to the metal steel rod framing of the lamp, concealed by yarn wrapping. Materials: Metal Steel Rod, Wool, Polyester

Soothe Me/Whisper (Chair): In collaboration with Christie Sung (RISD Industrail Design ‘24), I designed and digitally printed the pattern for the upholstery using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, and constructed the cushion shape. Materials: Cotton Duck, Maple Wood

It All Slips Away (Wall Installation): This piece acts almost as a diary. Pockets knitted on a domestic double-bed machine encase misplaced, forgotten, and lost items. Images carefully manipulated on photoshop reference memories of a distant home float on top. Materials: Poly yarn, UV print, paper, buttons, safety pins, push pins, crystal dog, seashells, bread bag closure, necklace, earring

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