Still Life (Longing)
In progress.
Commercial refrigerator containing goods purchased at Baltimore H-Mart: rambutan, bangus, green papaya, jackfruit, a can of corned beef, a can of Tocino Spam, banana heart, mangoes, calabaza, eggplants, sugar canes, ampalaya, and banana leaves
In Still Life: Longing, I create a still life informed by the gaze of displacement and nostalgia. I also wanted to emphasize how early colonial economies still inform modern global foodways. Presenting it as an installation within a commercial refrigerator was key to recalling the industrial mechanisms of global commerce and exchange. The selection of objects is also of significance. I wanted to collect from whichever city I am in (in this case, Baltimore) and buy what I can from what is locally available. I specifically chose fruits, vegetables, and other goods that speak to what I love and relate to my Philippine upbringing. The selection also represents the extent of availability of Philippine goods within a certain area. Some goods, like the corned beef and Tocino Spam, point to outside culinary influences and may not be Philippine-made but their significance to the community and my ideation of the Philippines is enough to be included.