“What we consume is directly related to our identity,” said Ms. Mariko, the organizer of the art exhibit entitled Bagay-bagay during our question and answer. And it’s true, isn’t it? Come to think of it, we often don’t realize how the bits and pieces of things that we consume on a daily or on a regular basis slowly slowly become ingrained in how we identify ourselves. I’m not saying that it entirely becomes who we are as a person, but rather it becomes part of our identity. It’s like how people who love to read identify as bookworms, or how people who “stan” a particular group are part of fandoms. And what’s more interesting is that we are not just limited to one piece of media for us to consume. We can take part in different activities and pursue our various interests, and slowly it all builds up to who we are.
If there is one thing that I believe in, its signs and fate. Call me a romantic or whatnot, but it’s something that has always managed to get me by whenever I’m stuck somewhere. Though it doesn’t really have to do anything with the exhibit or anything, I like to believe that I came across that piece first for a reason.
First is that he/she mentioned about the identity crisis she has been experiencing since she was younger made her realize how she was going to struggle with the project. This is something that I deeply sympathize with. Knowing myself, it would take me a hundred years before I could decide who I think I am for sure. But at the end of the letter, this is what the artist said: “This artwork may look a lot, but that is because there is so much to tell about myself; so many more stories left untold.”
The development from the first to the last line resonates with me a lot. From being unsure of what to do due to a long-running identity crisis to finally realizing what they are made up of and what they have to offer is a character development I didn’t expect to witness in just a short letter. It’s something that I would read a whole novel about, except it’s just a brief letter from an artist to its viewers.
I went around the exhibit multiple times, coming across different artworks that usually came in triptychs, and most of them were interesting. There was this piece inspired by the Japanese art tradition of Kintsugi, wherein broken pieces of glass are brought together through mixing it with gold. There was also a resemblance of tower, with each level corresponding to the artist’s interests. The ones I enjoyed the most were the artworks that made use of flowers, but that’s just a personal thing as I’ve always loved the concept of blooming into something greater.
However, even as I went around and observed the pieces multiple times, even reading some of the descriptions repeatedly in hopes of connecting with it, there wasn’t another artwork that resonated with me as much as the very first one I saw. Maybe it was unintentional or maybe it was designed that way, but it felt like it was personally meant for me to read. It felt like the letter was written for me to come across. Perhaps it was the letter that elevated my connection to the piece, but nonetheless it still made it my favorite.
The things we take in consciously and actively take part in contribute to who we are as a person. Though it may not explain fully our identity, it is still a building block that can make us say that we are who we are now. From childhood up to where we are now, the little things that we stuck with us along the way can tell stories about ourselves. And maybe in that way, we get to know ourselves a little more better.
Ysabela Meets World 