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Marissa Largo
I Bring Myself
Artist Statement
Focusing on the theme of pasalubong (welcoming gift) and padala (things that you send “home” or to people who are far away), I am reminded of the ritual of opening the maleta to reveal the wonderful and magical objects brought back by relatives. Wrapped in newspaper for protection are Cebuano dried mangoes, bottles of Tanduay rum, and capiz shell ornaments. The unwrapping of the pasalubong stirs within me a child like excitement as on Christmas morning. I carefully fold the newspapers and glean from them mestiza models in adverts, the mess that Arroyo is making, and the aftermath of the Ondoy.
But instead of rum and mangoes, what if the pasalubong and the padala are reconsidered senses of self and home? This work views the body as a metaphor for my duality as a second generation Filipina – as a part of a body politic of racialized women in diaspora with strong connections, albeit non-physical, to the motherland.
Aside from the personal metaphors, the work may also be read with a political lens. The trafficking of women from the Philippines is a growing problem stemming from deep-seated sexist and racist global power relations. The woman “smuggled” in the suitcase and wrapped in newspaper as if she were a fragile object, is reference to the objectification and trafficking of the Filipina.
For the online version of this work, the series of photographs are turned into a stop-motion animation. The photos slowly transition into the each other, creating a quiet performance.
Artist Biography
Marissa Largo is a Toronto-based artist and educator. She is a graduate of York University’s Fine Arts and Education programs and has a Master’s degree in Art Education from Concordia University. Her works have been presented in several group and solo exhibitions in Toronto and Montreal, such as Public Realm (2010), Memory and Place (2009), and From the Pearl of the Orient to Uptown (2007). Her art practice and academic research focuses on community art education, cultural studies, and equity studies. She organizes with the Magkaisa Centre, home to progressive community groups that are dedicated to the integration and settlement of Filipinos in Canada.
Note: All videos require Adobe Flash to play. Click here to download.
Marissa Largo
I Bring Myself
Artist Statement
Focusing on the theme of pasalubong (welcoming gift) and padala (things that you send “home” or to people who are far away), I am reminded of the ritual of opening the maleta to reveal the wonderful and magical objects brought back by relatives. Wrapped in newspaper for protection are Cebuano dried mangoes, bottles of Tanduay rum, and capiz shell ornaments. The unwrapping of the pasalubong stirs within me a child like excitement as on Christmas morning. I carefully fold the newspapers and glean from them mestiza models in adverts, the mess that Arroyo is making, and the aftermath of the Ondoy.
But instead of rum and mangoes, what if the pasalubong and the padala are reconsidered senses of self and home? This work views the body as a metaphor for my duality as a second generation Filipina – as a part of a body politic of racialized women in diaspora with strong connections, albeit non-physical, to the motherland.
Aside from the personal metaphors, the work may also be read with a political lens. The trafficking of women from the Philippines is a growing problem stemming from deep-seated sexist and racist global power relations. The woman “smuggled” in the suitcase and wrapped in newspaper as if she were a fragile object, is reference to the objectification and trafficking of the Filipina.
For the online version of this work, the series of photographs are turned into a stop-motion animation. The photos slowly transition into the each other, creating a quiet performance.
Artist Biography
Marissa Largo is a Toronto-based artist and educator. She is a graduate of York University’s Fine Arts and Education programs and has a Master’s degree in Art Education from Concordia University. Her works have been presented in several group and solo exhibitions in Toronto and Montreal, such as Public Realm (2010), Memory and Place (2009), and From the Pearl of the Orient to Uptown (2007). Her art practice and academic research focuses on community art education, cultural studies, and equity studies. She organizes with the Magkaisa Centre, home to progressive community groups that are dedicated to the integration and settlement of Filipinos in Canada.
To see more of Marissa Largo’s work, click here.