Artist's Room: Augustine Paredes

Curated by Dawn Ross

July 8 - November 2024
Jameel Arts Centre
Dubai, UAE

Augustine Paredes artist's room explores his relationship to identity and family. Focusing on his personal journey as a migrant - constantly navigating between time, places and identities - the works delve into the complexities of his own experiences and the enduring effects of colonialism.

Augustine's practice has primarily centred on photography. Gradually moving away from the camera as a main source of image-making, he has embraced a more process-based approach that focuses on the inherent qualities and agency of materials used within his work. This shift has led him to reconnect with his own history and memories, while confronting the challenges and violence he's endured as a migrant.

One central work in the exhibition, Mother is a portrait of Marife, Augustine's mother, an important figure in his life that embodies his connection to nome and sense or belonging. Other works present traces of burns, verses of poems, paintings, ink stains, fibres, pearls and wool threads. Together these works explore the artists reflections on guilt, desire and devotion.

Special thanks to Ruba Alsweel, Rhoda Azizoghly, Antonia Carver, Barış Doğrusöz, Nadine El Khoury, Naseef Ismail, Daniya Jawwad, Fady Jameel, Albert Kolambel, Giacomo Pietro Lamborizio, Zahra Mansoor, Alex Wachira and the Art Jameel team.

Mother, 2022

Acrylic on photographic print

Art Jameel Collection

“Every migrant heart is held by a mother”

Lamentations, 2024

Piña silk, inabel weave, organza, abaca, chiffon, linen, charcoal and acrylic
Commissioned by Art Jameel
Courtesy of the artist

Several types of fabric have been stitched together to create each textile piece in Lamentations, or Panaghoy in Filipino, each material carrying its own cultural and historical significance. Similar to the journey of a migrant, the materials tell their own story. The chiffon and linen were sourced from Indonesia and purchased in Dubai, while the piña fabric (a traditional fabric produced from pineapple leaves) was sourced from the Philippines, and then sent from Dubai to Germany, where the artist currently works.

Augustine connected with his own history through the process of making Lamentations, experimenting with weaving techniques such as inabel, a style native to Ilocos Norte, an area where his ancestors are from; and callado, a technique that was said to be introduced to the Philippines by the Spanish in the colonial era. Callado involves removing fibres from a woven fabric and reworking whatever is remaining to create new details. Similarly, Augustine employs a dramatic and violent technique by burning the fabrics. At times he guides this process, while also allowing the material to have its own agency. He achieves this by applying acetone to the fabric and setting it on fire, letting the fire burn its own path through the material.

Migration Route as Self-Portrait, 2023

Vinyl

Courtesy of the artist

Migration Route as Self-Portrait consists of three drawings that map the locations where Augustine Paredes has lived throughout his life. He has moved frequently, usually due to family obligations, systemic issues and economic constraints, often beyond his control. Each map represents a distinct chapter; the first begins in the Philippines and traces his route within his homeland before moving to Dubai; the second focuses on his life in Dubai; and the third follows his journey from the Philippines to the UAE and Germany.
Migration Route as Self-Portrait presents the artist’s identity as a collection of data and locations, reflecting his life’s journey. Where one was born and where one lives significantly contribute to their identity and sense of being.