Liham
Liham
Liham (Letters) Project takes off from handwritten letters that were born out of a need to communicate with loved ones while away from home. In a series of live workshops, the participants take on this form of communication and use drawing and letter-writing to document, record, and contemplate on their experiences, to tell their stories as Filipino migrant workers, and to cope with being away from home, especially in this time of pandemic.
These letters were presented during a Facebook live event titled Pagbubukas ng Liham (Opening of letters). This event was shortly followed by a live artist talk.
POST BOX:
Archive of illustrated letters from our participants addressed to their families, communities and the Filipino public.
Click on the images to listen to the artists read their letters.
Day 1: Basics of drawing and coloring objects
We started the workshop with warm-up exercises, and drawing, rendering, and coloring basic 3D geometric shapes. Then the participants were asked to draw an object/ objects that remind them of their loved ones.
Day 2: Envelope making
Using the envelope as a metaphor for travel and as a vessel of stories, the participants each made an envelope from scratch, and were asked to design it as a form of self-portrait, according to how they see themselves as migrant workers.
Day 3: Drawing places and Landscapes
The participants made postcards showing their favorite places abroad. In this workshop we talked about the places they go to, to unwind during their day-offs.
Day 4: Living spaces
The participants made a cube out of paper and illustrated their living spaces. Here we talked about their lives outside of work: where they rest and how they spend their free time.
FACILITATORS
Henrielle Pagkaliwangan
Artist / Facilitator
Julia Mariano
Co-facilitator / Coordinator for Taiwan
Spokesperson, Migrante International - Taiwan Chapter
Volunteer, Serve the People Association - Shelter
PARTICIPANTS
Lyn
Hongkong
Lyn started to draw to combat her boredom. She turned to drawing to deal with her loneliness as a domestic worker in Hongkong, which led to her discovering her talent with visual art. She looks forward to the workshops because she meets fellow workers although from different demographics to speak about their experiences as artists and migrant workers.
Despite her packed schedule, she finds time to squeeze illustrating— sometimes, she draws while eating, cleaning, or taking out trash. Lyn hopes to motivate other migrant workers to find time for their passion. She said that most of their time is spent working for their families, but they should also not forget to also do what excites them. In the future, she also hopes to develop her singing.
Noemi
Hongkong
Noemi has been a migrant worker for almost 18 years now. She worked for 2 years in Taiwan and spent the rest of her years in Hongkong, where she became one of the founders of Guhit Kulay, a group of Filipino migrant artist collective set up in 2017. Prior to establishing the organization, Noemi spends her day-offs at the park, drawing.
Noemi says that the Kamustahan sessions excite her because as a self-taught artist, she still discovers new techniques because of the workshops. More than the skills, she also appreciates meeting Filipino migrant workers from different parts of the world. Pre-pandemic, Guhit Kulay also launches physical art workshops, and Noemi is excited to facilitate similar workshops again, with the insights she developed from participating in Kamustahan.
Cris
Hongkong
Cris has been working in Hongkong for 25 years, where she’s also an active member of Guhit Kulay, a migrant artist collective set up in 2017.
Pre-pandemic, Cris is mostly a visual artist taking part in workshops and putting up exhibits in Hongkong. Because of the lockdown, she ventured to embroidery and sew cloth masks to cheer up her friends.
She grew up in Baguio where she owns a gown rental business on the side. She looks forward to applying what she learned in the workshops in developing her business.
Myles
Taiwan
Myles is a factory worker from Taiwan. Despite her demanding work, Myles strives to find time to join the workshops because it eases her stress from working almost everyday. She says she chose to join the Liham workshop because she had skills in drawing, but she still learns new techniques as she and her fellow participants draw together.
Her favorite activity was drawing her favorite places as it brought her back to her childhood and memories. She enjoys making artwork with fellow participants on Zoom as it’s just like talking to her friends.
Cielo
London
Cielo spends most of her time organizing for Filipino Domestic Workers Association (FDWA). For Cielo, a hobby is something that one likes doing, and when asked about hers, the first thing that comes to her mind is organizing. Organizing for FDWA is part of Cielo’s daily routine; she responds to the call of migrant workers who need assistance and rescues them from abusive employers, any time of the day.
She is one of the co-facilitators of the Mayflowers project which started because of the Beyond Myself Exhibition back in 2017. What motivated Cielo to co-facilitate the workshop was her intention to build a network of migrant workers from Taiwan and Hongkong.
Fe
London
Gracy
Taiwan
Rhesa
Hongkong
Rhesa worked as a domestic helper in Hongkong for 8 years. Similar to other migrant workers, she spends her day off traveling around the city or making art. The Kamustahan sessions remind her of going to school, and meeting new people.
She enjoys listening during sharings and would like to hear more stories of her fellow OFWs. She says that there are a lot of talented artists and migrant workers, but because of certain realities, only a few can pursue the arts. However, art can still be beneficial to migrant workers in terms of destressing. She hopes to explore using acrylic and watercolor and learn wood carving in the future.
