Lola (Fidela Raqueño Gregorio)
2024 | Francis Colburn Gallery | USA
Materials: Charcoal, graphite, white charcoal, ink, and image transfer on artist’s handmade paper (abaca, gampi, and recycled paper)
Dimensions: 22 in x 28 in
Date: 2024
Exhibited in: Francis Colburn Gallery
Lola (Fidela Raqueño Gregorio) uses layering and image transfer techniques to consider a personal narrative of diaspora, one that expresses the uprootedness of my family from our homeland. The image of my grandmother became more indecipherable through its layering over the handmade paper.
“Gupit’s handmade paper pieces and multidisciplinary works delve into her cultural and ethnic identity as a Filipina American. By incorporating photographs of her grandparents, she visually interweaves her family’s history with a broader history of the Philippines that remains largely overlooked and untold. Her relief and sculptural works, crafted from paper clay casts, showcase portable and familiar everyday objects—such as passports, coins, books, and documents—offering a tangible exploration of personal and collective narratives. These objects serve as conduits for understanding the dual quest for belonging and the desire to preserve a sense of home. As a whole, Gupit’s art practice highlights the simultaneous personal and universal yearning for connection, providing a visual lens through which viewers can contemplate the intricate interplay between individual identity and the broader human experience.” — Sarah Richter