Si Aqs (a portrait)

This mixed-media sculpture is a self-portrait of the artist Alfredo Aquilizan. The work recalls his family’s move to Australia in 2006 and the cardboard Balikbayan Boxes that carried the possessions that each family member chose to bring with them to their new home.  Here, the artist’s personal effects are made visible, allowing his selection of clothing, books, papers, and mementos to represent his identity and life journey.  The work also speaks poignantly about the Filipino diasporic experience and the liminal space occupied by migrants in search of home and belonging.