Maharlina Gorospe-Lockie provides unexpected insight into the Filipino diaspora through art and food. Her work is attuned to a contemporary conscience reflective of social and environmental pressures in the Asia-Pacific region. Filipinos living or working abroad make up about 13 percent of the total population of the Philippines. It is one of the largest diaspora populations, spanning over a hundred countries.

These remarkably accomplished paintings offer a look into comfort-giving Filipino dishes, whether cooked by the artist at home or ordered at any of the few Filipino cafes around. They also reflect on the complex issue of food security in the Philippines, with an intensely changing climate and environmental degradation impacting food production and undermining the ability of families to feed themselves.

On a return visit by the artist last year, the usual experience of culinary delights was overshadowed by worsening signs of economic hardship among low-income households. Some essential food items were not readily available and, if they were, they cost more or were of poor quality. Fresh food that had become unaffordable was being replaced by unhealthy processed food. The country’s acute food insecurity and environmental degradation exposes vulnerable sectors to long-term poverty and health issues.

Filipinos enjoy our food in even the most modest of settings, especially when shared with others. We take it as a compliment when a guest’s plate ends up empty; even more so when they go for a second helping (and a third, for takeaway). As a Filipino based overseas, my country’s food provides comfort and assurance in times of homesickness. I relish visits to Manila to share the tastes of home with family and friends but find myself troubled by the economic and environmental precarity of so many of my fellow Filipinos.”
Maharlina Gorospe-Lockie