siya: there is no gender pronoun in my first language
"Siya" was inspired by Lorna Simpson's photo sequence, "She" (1992). Simpson cropped the frame to reveal a female figure wearing men’s clothes and striking a series of “masculine-identified” poses. Simpson placed the text “female” above the series of four photographs as a challenge to the viewer’s assumptions about gender.
In my homage, I imagine a gender identity that moves beyond the binary and is inclusive of trans identity and indigenous culture. The model identifies as “Tibo” or Transgender in Filipino culture.
I represented regional groups in the Philippines through textiles: the model is from in Abra in the Northern Cordillera mountain region, therefore a ceremonial Tingguian cloth acts as a backdrop with distinctive stitching and embroidery on the borders; the model wears a Barong Tagalog - a man’s formal shirt commonly worn in cities in Central Luzon; and the Malong wrapped around the model's waist is commonly worn in the Mindanao region of the Southern Philippines.
I placed the word “Siya” above the series of four photographs. Pronounced sh-AH (rhymes with KA) the word can be translated to mean either “she” or “he” in Pilipino.
There is no gender specific pronoun in my first language.
Selected Exhibitions:
"SIYA rhymes with KA" presented at Kapisanan Centre as part of "KA" Visual Art Exhibition at the 6th Annual KULTURA Filipino Arts Festival exhibited from August 26 to September 10, 2011
"Siya" presented at Thrush Holmes Empire Art Gallery as part of “... and it tasted like bitter almonds”. September 2010
"Siya" presented at OCADU Student Centre - curated by the Office of Diversity & Equity Initiatives. Exhibited from October 2009 to September 2010
In my homage, I imagine a gender identity that moves beyond the binary and is inclusive of trans identity and indigenous culture. The model identifies as “Tibo” or Transgender in Filipino culture.
I represented regional groups in the Philippines through textiles: the model is from in Abra in the Northern Cordillera mountain region, therefore a ceremonial Tingguian cloth acts as a backdrop with distinctive stitching and embroidery on the borders; the model wears a Barong Tagalog - a man’s formal shirt commonly worn in cities in Central Luzon; and the Malong wrapped around the model's waist is commonly worn in the Mindanao region of the Southern Philippines.
I placed the word “Siya” above the series of four photographs. Pronounced sh-AH (rhymes with KA) the word can be translated to mean either “she” or “he” in Pilipino.
There is no gender specific pronoun in my first language.
Selected Exhibitions:
"SIYA rhymes with KA" presented at Kapisanan Centre as part of "KA" Visual Art Exhibition at the 6th Annual KULTURA Filipino Arts Festival exhibited from August 26 to September 10, 2011
"Siya" presented at Thrush Holmes Empire Art Gallery as part of “... and it tasted like bitter almonds”. September 2010
"Siya" presented at OCADU Student Centre - curated by the Office of Diversity & Equity Initiatives. Exhibited from October 2009 to September 2010
