As my family is about to shift our residence at this junction, I have been doing some documentation of the process and chanced upon Stella Kalaw’s Family Spaces.
TOP TO BOTTOM, from (“Family Spaces“)
© Stella Kalaw
Having left Philippines ten years ago, Kalaw began the project when she felt a loss in the meaning of home and family.
Continents apart, each home is a glimpse of interconnectedness through objects of the everyday Filipino. Worn tsinelas on a stair landing, a tabo floating in a balde, the Sacred Heart of Jesus–all markers of Pinoy identity, they are umbilical cords to the familiar.
I like the quietness of the works, which is further accentuated by the use of diptychs. We cannot tell with certainty where each image was taken but we can sense the strong presence of her family and her longing.
There would be an exhibition at Silverlens Gallery, Manila, Philippines on Jan 8. Visit her website to see the series in its entirety.
3 Comments
thanks for the info. i like this kind of projects.
she also exhibited at 2902 gallery during the SIPF. The first time I saw her name in the exhibitors, I wasn’t sure if she is Filipino since the country listed was US. When I saw her work, I smiled :)
It’s an interesting project, especially since my exploration of family has been almost opposite to hers. I grew up in the USA, moved out of my home when I was 18 (as most of us do), moved across the country from NY to CA and then after 9 years there moved to Bangkok. Ironically, it has been the experience in Thailand that has brought me closer to my family. Seeing how the asian family unit works (or doesn’t work), has shown me another way that a family can operate. Even though I live so far from them, I feel that I am somehow closer to them … when I come back to the states for a month each year (where I am now actually), it’s much different than when I used to come back from CA. Perhaps part of it is that I value them more, another part that I am more willing to relax into seeing what develops.