Alessandra Camille Perreras

From One Body of Water to Another

From One Body of Water to Another is a three-piece photo series of portrait recreations of family archives. Shot on digital medium format with a Fuji GFX and printed on 17” by 16” organza 8mm Jacquard fabric, the series aims to reanimate the charm and narratives of family archival photographs through a reflection of generational impact. Upon the loss of my mom’s eldest sister about four years ago, I encountered a collection of old photographs documenting the youth of my mom and her siblings from the time they lived in the Philippines up until they moved to Canada. These photos have since become an anchor for my art practice as they reveal a side to my elders previously unknown to me.

“Rooted in themes of familial love, lineage, and intergenerational connection, each piece imposes portraits of my youngest sister (the end of a lineage) onto portraits of my late Tita (the beginning of a lineage). The top layer of each piece is a carefully crafted image of my youngest sister intended to mimic the gestures and expressions of the original found photograph of my mom’s eldest sister. The resulting images were achieved through thoughtful placement of props and furniture, the repurposing of found materials, and even the inclusion of my Tita’s old clothing. Beneath each new portrait lays the original photograph, visible through the sheerness of the organza to give the notion of layering past and present. The archival images were each taken in my mom’s hometown, Pasig, Philippines, around the mid-1980s to early 1990s. The Tagalog word Pasig roughly translates to “a river flowing from one body of water to another,” a phrase which became central to the series. In suspension, the prints subtly float, putting emphasis on a double image which echoes the project’s thematic exploration of inheritance, reflection, and familial identity.”