Close up image of Calamansi fruit.
Calamansi tree grown in artist's family's backyard.
An Ode to our Calamansi Tree, 2023, silk steam-printed with calamansi leaves, calamansi essential oil, calamansi hydrosol, diffuser
An Ode to our Calamansi Tree explores the artist’s Filipino heritage within the context of her Australian identity through the symbol of the Calamansi - a native Filipino citrus - planted in the artist’s family’s backyard in South-Western Sydney (Dharawal Land). As a living connection to the motherland, the tree offers familiarity but also reminds the Filipino diaspora of the distance of home. By using the tree’s leaves and fruit as both subject and medium, the artist creates a sensory experience through installation and scent drawn from the experiences of the diaspora.
Through the process of botanical printing, this work explores the forging of a hybrid identity, nostalgia for one’s roots, the power of cultural narratives and belonging within diasporic communities. It invites viewers to contemplate the intricacies of their own heritage and the evolution of cultural identities in an interconnected world.
With living plant material embedded within the silk, the natural pigment will fade over time from exposure to sunlight, bestowing an ephemeral essence to the work.
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Ashley Cagauan is a Filipino-Australian emerging artist living and working on unceded Dharawal Land. Working with installation, methodologies of photomedia and plant matter, her practice explores hybrid cultural identities and cultural memory. Her work investigates lived experiences of Filipino diasporic communities, opening up avenues for dialogues that foster a deeper understanding of diverse migrant experiences.