A Seat at the Table (Magulang) A Seat at the Table (Kapatid)

Marikit Santiago’s practice draws upon her experience as a Filipina–Australian, family life, and the history of Western art. She looks to herself and her relatives as the subjects of her works, which she richly imbues with references to mythological or biblical stories. Santiago also invites the collaboration of her three children Maella, Santi Mateo and Sarita, incorporating their drawings into her compositions.

In the diptych comprising 'A Seat at the Table (Magulang)' and 'A Seat at the Table (Kapatid)', Santiago depicts her magulang (parents) in one panel, and an inverted portrait of herself sitting next to her kapatid (sibling) in the other. The composition and palette cite the Italian baroque painter Caravaggio’s Narcissus c1597–99, which depicts a beautiful young man who falls in love with his reflection. His inability to love others leads to his own demise.

In her works, Santiago proposes the intergenerational complexities faced by her migrant family. Her parent’s sacrifice has resulted in a more prosperous life for the artist and her sister, yet above their up-turned portraits rests a bunch of narcissus flowers (daffodils) and a large python snake. The flowers directly reference the dangers of self-indulgence, while the snake represents the temptations of contemporary life and the artist’s awareness of her choices.

collaboration with Maella Santiago, Santi Mateo Santiago and Sarita Santiago