“Altar to Lakapati” roots itself in ancient Filipino mythology, and critiques colonization’s effects on perceptions of gender. In this installation, I explore the various personas of Lakapati, a deity of fertility and agriculture that transcends modern interpretations of sex. Altar to Lakapati is a love letter to my heritage and encourages viewers to dismantle values historically riddled with violence. Featured also as a testament to the timelessness of queer existence is “Ode to Lakapati” by poet Ina Cariño. The amalgamation of each piece was curated with the intention of creating a space where modern and pre-colonial Filipino ideas of gender could intertwine in an ultimate, divine being.

The photographs taken for this installation were created by taking portraits of various Filipino models in the same location and poses. After taking the images using only natural lighting, I stacked them on top of one another in Photoshop and masked parts out to mimic a delayed exposure effect. The props on the table were carefully sourced from family and friends, and the feathers on the shawl were hand-placed and attached by me. You can read about the entire creative process here.