Azia Kalaw-Dacpano

Mending ng Angkan

Family Portraits

“The fragmented memories of cultural traditions consciously create space for the Filipino diaspora, the balikbayan, to connect to those who are far and to those who have come before them. A bust made from the bodies of my grandmother, my mother and I, holds a garment connecting the weight of our lineage to the motherland. The terno, a version of the baro’t saya, is a traditional Filipino outfit that now serves as a wearable document for my family. Carefully hand embroidered into the back are four generations of names that ground the fluidity of the fabric, rooting itself to the garment. The form sits on top of an open balikbayan box displaying pasalubong, gifts given upon return from a journey. The transnational history of the box comes together to embody the balikbayan themselves and their experiences away from the homeland. ”