Milagrosa: Threads of Identity

Handwoven Cotton & Recycled Material
12” x 22” (excl. handle)
2023

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Milagrosa: Threads of Identity
is an exploration of the intricate connections between food, community, ancestry and identity. It is a handwoven piece crafted by disassembling and reweaving a rice bag, serving as a tangible testament to these interwoven narratives.

Food, especially rice, holds a special place in Filipino and Asian cultures. It is the foundation of our meals, a symbol of sustenance, and a thread that binds us to our homelands. As a member of the diaspora, rice carries with it a powerful connection to Carol Ann’s roots, serving as a bridge between the past and the present. Through her art, she strives to convey the significance of rice as a symbol of the Asian diaspora, an emblem of resilience, and a testament to the enduring spirit of a community that has traversed oceans and borders.

This piece, created from the transformation of a handwoven rice bag, weaves together the stories of Carol Ann’s family, her ancestors once toiling in the rice fields of the Philippines, and the land itself. The act of cutting and reweaving mirrors the journey of migration, trade, and adaptation that defines the diaspora experience. Just as the threads of the rice bag are unraveled and reborn into something new, so too have generations of Asians left their homelands to find new homes and create new stories.

As she intricately intertwined these threads, Carol Ann invites viewers to contemplate the complex layers of the Asian diaspora, where heritage and culture meet the challenges and triumphs of migration. Her art speaks to the resilience of a people who, like rice, have planted deep roots in foreign soil, thriving and flourishing while honoring their heritage.

In this work, the rice bag transcends its utilitarian origins to become a canvas of memories, dreams, and reflections. It reminds us of the richness of our shared history and the enduring bonds that unite us, despite the physical distances that separate us.

Through Milagrosa: Threads of Identity, Craol Ann hopes to foster a deeper understanding of the Asian diaspora experience, where the act of creating and reimagining serves as a powerful reminder of the human spirit’s capacity to find belonging and create meaning, even in the most unexpected places. 

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