This work reinterprets the parol, a traditional Filipino lantern, though contemporary techniques to explore themes of navigation, cultural identity, and perception. In the Philippines the parol is often displayed during the holidays, but is traditionally a symbol of guidance, family, and community. It's symbol references the North Star, historically evoking celestial navigation and the way travelers looked to the stars for direction.
The artwork reflects the artist, who grew up diaspora Filipino in the USA and now moved to the Philippines, as a literal and metaphorical symbol of how people navigate (and understand) personal and cultural histories.
The use of technological light within this artwork creates both the structure and the subject. A recurring theme in my work is the intersection of technology and human experience — how digital and physical realities merge to shape our perceptions. I am using the language of light and geometric form to reimagine a cultural object, shifting it beyond traditional forms into new media abstraction. This transformation speaks to the ways culture is not fixed but continuously evolving, refracted through new contexts and environments.
Unique.
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Exhibited:
Kabinett solo presentation, Art Basel Hong Kong, 2025