ᜃ ᜉ ᜋᜒ ᜎ͓ ᜌ

7 April — 18 May 2024

Trocadero Projects, Level 1/40 Leeds Street, Footscray VIC 3011 Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 12 – 5pm

Trocadero Projects presents KAPAMILYA! A celebration of Filipinx food, culture and community with Tagalog artist Eme, in collaboration with Kariton Sorbetes. In 2023, Eme created a series of photo portraits and recorded interviews with 35 participants at Kariton Sorbetes. As part of the immersive experience, participants enjoyed ice cream and shared their personal stories and responses to Kariton's flavours, both familiar and new. This exhibition is supported by the City of Maribyrnong via the Love Your West program.

Artist Statement

Whenever I indulge in ice-cream at Kariton, it transports me back to the carefreeness of my childhood growing up in our Barangay. Once my Tita says sige (yes), I bolt to the Mama (man) selling from his carton on the street. I await patiently - reconnecting the rubber strands of my tsinelas (flip flops) and my sweaty fistful of piso coins. The joy it brought to children and their families on a hot day was unmatched.

Kapamilya translates in English as belonging to one family. It defines family in all its forms. It refersto blood relation, chosen/found family, kin, community, connection and relation to living things. This body of work involves medium-format film portraits of individuals and families that enjoy Kariton ice-cream in Footscray. It features on-site recordings of conversations with me between May to August of 2023.

The connections made is a reflection of the essence of kapamilya; treating all beings as family. In a culture that promotes hyper individualism, this series is an ode to the communal way of life of Filipinos. With the artists’ nostalgic yearning of home, they create opportunities to stay connected while memorialising moments of time spent no matter the duration.

The fabric prints of each participant is displayed next to a barcode that gives the audience a chance to listen to the recording of the conversation with the artist upon meeting. Each weave of fabric represents the interconnectedness of our lives, held by two bamboo sticks like the origin story of how humans came to be, in one of our Philippine mythologies.

In the secluded space, portraits of the same participants are displayed in smaller frames with found objects providing an insight inside people’s homes and its decorations - old and new. A calling for a unified front to keep loving, caring and fighting for each other.

In the spirit of Kapamilya, support your kapwa and purchase ‘We Call Her Ina Bai: How Strong Women are Made’ book by Sabokahan Unity of Lumad Women and Kapamilya Sticker Pack. All proceeds go to Sabokahan & Liyang Network respectively.