Artform Artist Kheyli Tristen Celebrates her Filipino Heritage

 

On the flag of the Philppines: the eight rayed sun symbolizes the first eight provinces ( Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna, Pampanga, Tarlac, Nueva, Ecija) that revolted against the Spanish Colonial government. The three five-pointed stars represent the three main island groups: Luzon. Visaysas, and Mindanao. 

I have watched her in stillness, 

how still and white and long. 

I have followed her about with my eyes, 

how silent and swift and strong. 

When she is still, it is musical. 

When she moves, it is a song. 

- Excerpt taken from "The Other Woman" by Filipino poet Francisco Arcellana

My grandfather grew up in Baguio, Phillipines, where the elevation is higher and the weather is a bit cooler. The fabrix my mother is clothed in is commonly found in this region and woven by the native tribes of Cordillera Mountain.