We found a space, that from the name, sounded like it was for us. We found ourselves missing among the treasured items. We looked for connections, familiarity—something our people have always been good at, creating family everywhere they go — but where was the worth in this work? Today, we see the beauty in our neighbors, but bring forward the work we wish to see. The work we demand. Because in this society, demand determines value… but is that all it is…?
Archipelago’s concept is driven through the synthesis of storytelling, research, and cooking. Using archives is an approach we often take to uncover a story or recipe, and to find inspiration. We took a similar approach in the Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM) - letting the collections guide our creative process. It could be an object with a symbolic meaning, resonating with a deeper humanistic thread - like a Cinnebar Lacquerware Dish from 16th century Japan. Maybe, the art had a political edge that we found resonated with our own collective histories of colonialism and resulting diaspora. Maybe it was a bit on the nose, and in that way revealed something perennial, like the Model of a Grain Mill from 25 C.E. - the oldest piece of ceramicware on display at the SAAM itself.
While we understand now that there are few pieces from the Philippines, or artists that have a Filipino/a/x identity highlighted in the collections, we appreciate the opportunity to think on longer timespans and expansive geographies. While the food history of the Philippines is often described as the child of Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and American influences at Archipelago we find these threads in the Pacific Northwest. We could not have asked for a better opportunity to weave a new story from the old with you.
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We thank Andrea Burgess for her time and assistance, and willingness to see us as artists we strive to be. We also thank Emily Kelly who has helped us properly attribute the art and images we utilized to make this work possible. This event would not have been possible without the generosity of the SAAM and an above and beyond commitment to our collective vision.
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This resource was written and designed by Amber Manuguid and Hanover Vale - Content Culinary Coordinator. It reflects months of work and collaboration between the entire Archipelago team and the Seattle Asian Art Museum.
we search for likeness, for someplace to exist…
... finding identity in ourselves, awakening to create what’s not there
Our Kamayan course connects displayed pieces at the SAAM to the igniting of creative exploration and freedom in the Philippines. This impacted and influenced Filipino/a/x artists here in the Pacific Northwest and all over the world. Starting in Seattle, with Victorio Edades, the Father of the Philippine Modernist movement. He traveled to the states from Pangasinan, Philippines and studied at the University of Washington, earning a Master of Fine Arts in painting. When he went back to the Philippines, he bravely put on a one-man show at the Philippine Columbia Club in Ermita to introduce to the masses what his unique modernist style. Though met with criticism and push back, he opened doors and minds. Edades sparked a movement in art and thought in the Philippines, helping it to diverge from vocational idealistic realism to an exploration of individual expression shedding light on the realities of life.
From this awakening came the Thirteen Moderns, colleagues and students of Edades. Among the thirteen was one woman, Anita Magsaysay-Ho. She is considered one of the most significant painters in the history of the Philippines with her work selling at record amounts during her lifetime. After studying with Edades, she moved to New York to continue as a student.
At this time another prominent artist, who took notice of the changes in the Philippine art world, had also come to the states from the Philippines, Alfonso Ossorio. First studying at Harvard, he ventured to New York where he met Jackson Pollock and Joseph Glasco and became close friends and creative collaborators. He later returned to the Philippines and was confronted by challenging memories. His paintings then centered on themes of childhood, birth, sexuality, mythology, and religion taking a far more critical stance than the artists before him. Ossario’s work is the only one of the Thirteen Moderns held in the SAAM’s collections.
From them we have the beginning.
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Our Kamayan course always begins a meal at Archipelago. It is always an acknowledgment to Seattle’s Coast Salish peoples, the Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleshoot nations, who have stewarded this land since time immemorial.
It further invites all to explore the flavors and textures of FilAm food with the hands, the most traditional was of both cooking and eating in Philippine culture.
In this thread, we must too acknowledge the history of Volunteer Park. Volunteer Park, where the Seattle Asian Art Museum has lived since 1993, memorializes those who fought in the Spanish-American war of 1898, which resulted in US Control of the Philippines -until 1945.
A Movement
Japanese net / Edades’ fishermen / rockfish kinilaw / WA salmon roe / Alpenfire vinegar / oyster mushroom palaman
Vase Decorated with Flying Birds in a Net
Late 19th Century, Japanese
(Untitled) Fishermen
Victorio Edades, 1973
Often to discuss art and draw parallels between artists we focus on things we can latch onto in our minds and personal experiences we consider language of themes and motifs - sometimes, this can lead us to even more creative connections. At the SAAM, while there are many objects on display that reference fish - we loved the symbolism and artistic motif of a net - one that Edades also uses to demonstrate action and labor in his Fishermen.
Kinilaw, perhaps the oldest dish in the Philippines, is bound together through time by a artistic net. One of the oldest recorded fishing technologies - the first evidence of which dates back to 27,000 BC. Further the net symbolism can be taken as a necessary constraint, or struggle, in the case of Archipelago, one that can be thought of as freedom in limitation - especially when it comes to the choice of using entirely PNW ingredients.
Moral Economy
Binondo grill / Magsaysay’s market / chicken inihaw / espelette / pear / fried garlic
Fan-Ding (Square Food Vessel)
Mid 11th Century BCE, China
In the Marketplace
Anita Magsaysay-Ho, 1955
Can we reorient value systems to try and create economies that prioritize forms of goodness and honesty? Perhaps that was what Magsaysay-Ho considered when she painted the lively market study that comes to define this course. A teeming scene full of action and movement, marked by a solitary male figure with a gaze that cuts right through the painting.
The life made between these two objects, the Fan-Ding, and Magsaysay-Ho’s market references the tradition of Inihaw or Barbecue, commonly found as street food in the Philippines. It was remarkable to see the parallels between the shape of the Fan-Ding echoed in the iron grills used to this day filled with wood and charcoal that give Inihaw its distinct flavor.
There are many direct references and influences that tie Chinese traditions to the Philippines. Vast precolonial trading networks of ceramicware, gold, and food brought the Pacific together in intimate connection.
Tangled Identity
burong / Ossario’s expressions / beet beads / Chiogga radicchio / wildflower honey
Language is a palimpsest of sound and form that unifies the collections we see across the SAAM archives. When the team visited for menu inspiration, we were drawn to the Kelambi Burong. Barong are formal wear traditionally made from Pineapple fibers in the Philippines, and it was remarkable to see one representative of Malaysian culture and traditions. This Burong shared the same linguistic shape but was rendered in a different form. This Burong, though beaded, is a resonant form with the Barong’s the team is donning tonight.
The striking colors of red, yellow, and orange are paralleled in Ossario’s SUM, forming a kind of artistic language, a disassembly and reassembly of the words and phrases we may already know.
Kelambi Burong
Late 19th Century, Malaysia
SUM
Alfonso Ossorio, 1958
what could be, could be anywhere – so we left, we traveled light...
... so light, that we were able to see the world for what it was
If we were to describe Archipelago in one dish, it would be “Anak ni bet” - a play on words of the Philippine dish Pinakbet, translating literally to “child of bet”. This dish conceptualizes intergenerational change and individuality, while retaining the characteristics of a traditional recipe that uses a hallmark of Philippine cuisine - bagoong. Friction is required for creation. Artists featured in this course were not afraid to go against the cultural grain in the Philippines in the 1970s, a time in the Philippines’ history defined by martial law and conservatism. In doing so, they made space for those who shared their identities where they were not welcomed before - in movements and cultural consciousness. The artists we draw from in this course remind us that to disrupt the status quo can be an act of hospitality, that as much as art disturbs it also comforts.
Anida Yoeu-Ali - Beheadings
Carlos Villa - Ritual
Fanny - Take a Message to the Captain
We art at a crossroads, deciding where to go, what should be.
Demands of Life
grain mill moment / Ali’s beheaded / WA wheat / Asin Tibuok butter / black truffle
Model of a Mill Grain
China, 22 CE
Beheadings
Anida Yoeu Ali, Performance at Palais de Tokyo, 2015
We were reminded of the enduring everyday quality of staple grains when the team learned that the oldest piece of ceramicware currently on view at the SAAM is a model of a grain mill in a striking emerald glaze. We imagined immortalizing a routine act of life, and saw our own hands and craft crystallized within.
Ali’s work on the other hand uses staple grains differently, through drawing attention politically to the nationalism fused to the French baguette. Leaning in to France’s longstanding colonial history and symbolism of the guillotine - she uses one quick chopping motion to cleave epoxied baguettes in two. ON DISPLAY
The pandesal served in this course comes by way of Portugal, who introduced bread to the Philippines in the 16th century. A parallel to France introducing Vietnam to the baguette, which then became embedded in Vietnamese cuisine. Pandesal is how most Filipinos begin their day. Once new, now indispensable.
Rehistoricize
pigments to preserve / Villa’s movements / tetsukabuto / Chelan saffron / OR dulse
Restoration Room Natural Pigments, Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Conservation Center
Ritual
Carlos Villa. Performance at The Farm, 1980
In the basement of the SAAM was perhaps the team’s most familiar touchpoint, the Atsuhiko and Goodwin Conservation Center’s lineup of pigments derived from natural materials. Familiar spices to some, now used to restore priceless works of art. In awe of this application, we drew from those spices - in particular saffron, to perfume our pressure caramelized tetsukabuto soup.
In Ritual, Villa takes on a mediating role and combines shamanistic performance elements, such as drumming, dancing, and trance poetry, as assertion of Villa's argument that art’s actions are a means to rehistoricize and recontextualize. When he performed this piece in 1980, it was so avant-garde that his work was “remained to be in the margins” by critics. He uses his own movement as a brush, somewhat wild, blending pigments on oversized canvas.
Sail Away
Yeondoo’s dreams / Fanny’s message to the Captain / lingcod buro / roots / wild things
Fanny awes as the first all-woman rock band to make it mainstream. They rejected typical “girl group” styles, the first of their kind in the late 70’s. Many of their songs addressed being a brown woman in the United States, a point of view that was also under-represented, especially in the Asian community. Through original songs, heartfelt covers, and killer style, they went on to top the charts and shatter glass ceilings.
They are a launchpoint - using their words and music to cast away into the future.
The lyrics of “Take a Message to the Captain” portray a struggle between the desire for exploration and the reluctance to leave behind a loved one. The opening lines suggest a sense of adventure and curiosity about the world that lies beyond. The protagonist mentions a ship that sails tomorrow and expresses interest in being on board to discover and explore.
Yeondoo’s photography combines the everyday with fantasy, leaning into the artform to create scenes that evoke a magical realist tone. Visiting this work on display, the viewer is taken on a journey as the photos slowly dissolve into each other. With one foot in reality and the other in the desired, we are reminded to step forward in our truth.
Bewitched Series No. 6, S. Korea
Jung Yeondoo, 2001
Take a Message to the Captain
Fanny, 1970
We are delighted this evening to bring in our own piece of edible art to the table today. The Asin Tibuok, sometimes called “Dragon Egg Salt”, is an ancient method of producing salt where seawater is filtered through ash giving it a distinctive flavor and appearance. The Tibuok we have brought today was acquired in 2022 on a team trip to the Philippines. Being here at the SAAM and already thinking internationally has been a gift that is not usually afforded to us in our physical home.
There are only a handful of families in the Philippines who continue to produce this salt. To bring in a taste refined in the Philippines and share this exceptionally rare and prized salt with you all is a treasure itself.
though the journey could be lonely, we found strength in our ancestors…
...they helped us find one another, knowing together we could thrive
Ulam means side dishes, they support the greater whole. We must grow together, cross-generationally, respecting where we came from and who had paved the way for us.
As we started communicating our event at the SAAM to partners and friends, we found many resonances in the FilAm community. We found a blog post written by a former SAAM curator, friends from the Burke Museum that helped us make sense of collections and curation processes, and a team of interdisciplinary artists - some from our own Archipelago team. We found comfort and warmth in this solidarity. In this work itself, the foundations were already spoken, we just needed to amplify. Approaching others with an open heart and mind led to generous collaborations. Community, over competition. We are grateful to be living in a moment where FilAm and Filipino/a/x art and artists are flourishing.
Alexis Villanueva - The Alchemist
Romson Bustillo - Karma
Karleen Ilagan - Sound Bath
We cannot rise alone, together we take up space.
Your Ancestors have Paved the Way
time / Villanueva’s future ancestors / 36-hr short rib / talong / strawberry Orosa / daikon radish atchara
Cinnabar Lacquered Tray with Foliate Rim
15th Century Japan
The Alchemist
Alexa Villanueva, Future Ancestors Tarot Deck, 2021
A longtime friend of the Archipelago team, Alexis Villanueva is a multidisciplinary artist who works in ceramic and ink. Her vessels are brought to life in our space, where our guests interact with them during dinner service. Even when not in use, they live in our space on display - sometimes a quick glance over yields a new feeling of inspiration.
The Cinnabar lacquered tray was one of the pieces that helped the team to hone in on this experience. This tray was passed down for centuries - kept in the family. The black patina appears through the red lacquer as symbol of its age, and consequently value. We thought about how time makes many things better. Maybe it is a family recipe that one has passed down through the years. In the case of our experience, sometimes it is a process itself as is the case with the 36 hour Wapato short rib.
Karma
depth / Bustillo’s karma / Kamayan ginger / Griffin Creek collard greens / celeriac
Deep Green Bowl
China, 1522-1566
Karma
Romson Bustillo, 2015
Thanks to our team member Jhoanna who was familiar with Bustillo’s work, we were able to reach out to his gallery in Pioneer Square. Familiar with the SAAM and excited by the concept of a FilAm led dinner and art program, Bustillo kindly agreed to share some of his work for the event.
We were immediately drawn to Bustillo’s story and artist statement. Born in Mindanao and raised in South Seattle he “integrates his printmaking foundation with a transdisciplinary approach, often exploring universal themes of belonging and perseverance. His work nurtures the act of examining and re-examining one’s place in society concurrent with the process of ideation.”
The patchwork process Bustillo developed for his printmaking style reminds us of our own identities as FilAms - navigating the many parts to ourselves that comprise the whole. In particular this work Romson considers the Visayan precolonial concept of gabaa - a “complex cycle of non-human, non-divine retribution.” Laing, a dish from Bicol, is characterized by earthy green flavors and sweet nuttiness, perfectly in balance.
We Are Here
Philippine’s only ones / Ilagan’s reverberations / parsnip pyanngang / ID wild rice / wild leeks / Tualco heirloom garlic
Ifugao Bulul (Rice Deities)
Philippines, 19th Century
Sound Bath
Karleen Ilagan of Biōm Seattle
The Philippines only ones. The Philippines only ones…? The Philippines only ones? We thought as we went through the SAAM collections. It must be a mistake, we thought - as Filipino Americans are the largest Asian Community represented in Seattle - who, with our labor, with our thoughts, and hearts, built up Seattle itself. The Philippines only ones.
While rice deities are found throughout the Philippines, these belong specifically to the Ifugao people of Ifugao Province, Luzon. The Ifugao, who expertly engineered the Banaue rice terraces so effectively that they continue to produce heirloom rice to this day. Who resisted the Spanish, and preserved their thriving culture.
When was the last time these deities saw the rice of their people, and protected their granaries?
There is a deep sense of honor in serving a meal this evening with you all that focuses around PNW grown rice. Our team in 2022 worked with Kamayan Farm to plant upland rice, which flowered but did not sprout. In the description of these deities, we also see that they were sometimes given food and drink to partake as agents in the meals themselves.
Creating a main course of ulams reminds us that all are supported by the whole. That food must be held in honor. That one is never alone.
we have been moving for so long, resilient and persistent...
...we pause to look back, we know what each step is worth.
As we started tonight’s event with a reflection on Value, we hope that you are leaving feeling a sense of transformation. Perhaps, a sense of inspiration - or in the spirit of the Dragon, power, courage, and wisdom. When our team saw the double headed Dragon Amphora, we were struck by the symbolism and resonance to Lunar New Year. Further, the vessel Amphora, is a strong reference to one of our favorite wine producers, A.D. Beckham, who produces wines through the ancient method of Amphora fermentation. To do this, they must produce their own Amphora out of clay themselves in house.
Fermentation is an ancient and cross cultural process of transformation. In the SAAM archives, we see vessels for tuba, a fermented coconut or rice wine from the Philippines, taking on similar form to Amphora (note, the rope lashings for strength) as the vessel increases in pressure undergoing the fermentation process.
In the beginning of this experience, we asked you to reflect on value. What it means to you and how you sense it. We hope that this immersive experience has left you feeling different as to when you first joined us.
From all of us at Archipelago, we sincerely thank you for being a part of the experience tonight. We encourage you all to continue to stay curious and connected, and continue to follow your passion for art and humanity wherever it leads you.
Value
dragons / identity / pinipig hazelnut / huckleberry preserves / amphora jelly
Double Handled Dragon Amphora
China, 581 - 618
Our Value
Judgement, Alexa Villanueva
