Rephrasing the old idiom “you can take the artist out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the artist” would appear particularly apt in relation to Diokno Pasilan. Certainly, in terms of iconography, the Philippine environment, politics, and customs figure prominently in the Australian resident’s new series of paintings. The works discussed here contain numerous culturally specific elements that will be readily recognised by Filipinos. Although living in Australia since 2000, Pasilan has travelled back to the Philippines regularly—mostly to rural areas—and memories of his birthplace are continually renourished.
Text excerpt: Geoff Wallis
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