Lolo’s garden (Lolo is Tagalog for grandpa) is a part of a greater body of work which studies my own connection to landscapes rooted in my intersectional Asian American identity. My lolo’s relationship with his garden was comparable to that of an artist and their canvas. Throughout his lifetime, he filled this garden space with all sorts of knick knacks that sparked his curiosity, brought him joy, or reminded him of the things he loved. He passed away several years ago, but in 2019, I had the opportunity to visit Bacolor, Pampanga, his childhood home in the Philippines. I saw the beautiful stone church he attended as a child, the view of the mountains in the distance, the lush palms and vast green countryside. Although I was 3000 miles away from home, it was here I discovered the close similarity between the atmosphere of his childhood home in Bacolor and his old garden outside Los Angeles. The tropical fruit trees, the range of blue mountains in the distance, the selection of succulents native to the desert of California but reminiscent of the colors of Pampanga. At the convergence of both Filipino and American influences my Lolos yard became reflective of a complex relationship between Filipino diaspora and an evolving American landscape. This textile collage attempts to capture the essence of Lolo’s garden and the nuanced cultural influences it carried with it, through the thread, scissors and fabric I am able to reconnect to a long lost home.
