My Skin is Manila

Manila envelopes namesake’s history with abaca fiber connects me to a part of my culture & a part of American history that throws away culture. Deconstructed manila envelopes are used as part of my connection to my Filipina roots referencing how manila envelopes (paper, folders, etc) were once made with abaca fibers, a native plant of the Philippines.

As I sort through family photos, I’ve been primarily searching for of myself with objects or pictures of objects that are significant to me. With my school portraits, I’ve been transforming them thru image transfer & shredded photos onto manila paper. Its been an exploration of connection with family photos and manila based papers.