Tala Berkes
Pabalik Pasalubong
Artist Statement
A personal approach to achieving good health for the heart: Renew, Rework, Recycle. A pasalubong is a gift meant for someone dear, a gift you exchange for a warm welcome and open arms. For one reason or another, pasalubongs are sometimes left un-given. This Barong Tagalog was purchased for someone dear to me while I was traveling in the Philippines. Upon returning to Canada, much had changed. “Something meant for when you welcome me back.” No longer welcome, the gift remained in my possession, a bittersweet reminder of someone who at some point was important in my life, and of a relationship fallen apart at the seams. W hat does one do with something like this? Unwanted but not disposable, such items find their way to the bottoms of boxes and closets, only to resurface years later. Having unearthed this lovely garment recently, I see its beauty again in w hat it is, rather than what it had represented years ago. Nonetheless, it w as meant for someone else.
Deconstructing the shirt and using the materials to create a new garment now gives the once forlorn gift a second chance at life. The act of deconstructing the shirt is almost a ceremonious act, symbolically separating myself from all things associated with it, a renewal of the spirit. Reworking the garment gives it a new life, never forgetting the past, but looking to a fresh future. Finally, rather than discarding something new and unused, the garment is recycled into a new form, prolonging the life of the materials, reducing waste, and reclaiming the garment to make it my own.
Artist Biography
Tala grew up in the cold, snow-ridden city of Edmonton where she occupied her time with fanciful things such as ballet, tap dance, musical instruments, and solving murder mysteries. She is the only daughter of a Filipina lawyer and a Hungarian physicist, and grew up in a full house alongside three brothers, and her seamstress Lola. She was a fabulously dressed child, running around in party dresses hand made by her Lola and Mama, and under the influence of her Lola’s talent, she one day began sewing for herself. With sewing as a hobby, Tala stumbled into marketing and completed a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Alberta. She spent two years traveling, working, and traveling, and working before finally moving to Toronto to pursue further fanciful things. She is currently studying fashion design at Ryerson University, and spends most of her time in a lab surrounded by humming machines and sharp objects.
Tala Berkes
Pabalik Pasalubong
Artist Statement
A personal approach to achieving good health for the heart: Renew, Rework, Recycle. A pasalubong is a gift meant for someone dear, a gift you exchange for a warm welcome and open arms. For one reason or another, pasalubongs are sometimes left un-given. This Barong Tagalog was purchased for someone dear to me while I was traveling in the Philippines. Upon returning to Canada, much had changed. “Something meant for when you welcome me back.” No longer welcome, the gift remained in my possession, a bittersweet reminder of someone who at some point was important in my life, and of a relationship fallen apart at the seams. W hat does one do with something like this? Unwanted but not disposable, such items find their way to the bottoms of boxes and closets, only to resurface years later. Having unearthed this lovely garment recently, I see its beauty again in w hat it is, rather than what it had represented years ago. Nonetheless, it w as meant for someone else.
Deconstructing the shirt and using the materials to create a new garment now gives the once forlorn gift a second chance at life. The act of deconstructing the shirt is almost a ceremonious act, symbolically separating myself from all things associated with it, a renewal of the spirit. Reworking the garment gives it a new life, never forgetting the past, but looking to a fresh future. Finally, rather than discarding something new and unused, the garment is recycled into a new form, prolonging the life of the materials, reducing waste, and reclaiming the garment to make it my own.
Artist Biography
Tala grew up in the cold, snow-ridden city of Edmonton where she occupied her time with fanciful things such as ballet, tap dance, musical instruments, and solving murder mysteries. She is the only daughter of a Filipina lawyer and a Hungarian physicist, and grew up in a full house alongside three brothers, and her seamstress Lola. She was a fabulously dressed child, running around in party dresses hand made by her Lola and Mama, and under the influence of her Lola’s talent, she one day began sewing for herself. With sewing as a hobby, Tala stumbled into marketing and completed a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Alberta. She spent two years traveling, working, and traveling, and working before finally moving to Toronto to pursue further fanciful things. She is currently studying fashion design at Ryerson University, and spends most of her time in a lab surrounded by humming machines and sharp objects.