Artist Statement

Corruption in the Filipino government is a widespread dilemma; a long-time issue rooted from the government's consumption of money. This forces people to spiral into economic hardships, causing significant damage to the nation as a whole. Bulok (corrupt/rotten) explores the Filipino President's consumption of rotten milk in the kitchen — a metaphor for stability — a monochromatic space that juxtaposes the golden living room. The artwork also portrays irony between money and the people — money is valued more than people's lives.

Artwork Process

I sketched my concept on three canvases and proceeded to utilise acrylic paint to paint the President and background. Then, materials such as fabric, balsa wood, clay, foam and a transparent plastic sheet were manipulated to create the windowsill, a golden vase and a television screen. The canvases were then photographed and were overlayed with animated people and a news footage video regarding the President. (Includes news footage from CNBC (2017), Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte Striving for Reduction in Poverty, Law-Abiding and Peaceful Citizens)

About the Artist

Name: Kiara Chu
School: Craigslea State High School
Artwork: Bulok (corrupt/rotten)
Media: Single channel video, 1:09 minutes, colour, sound

As a Filipino immigrant, moving to a completely different country exposed me to contrasting cultures, values and beliefs, and allowed me to see and understand numerous perspectives from various people. Consequently, as an artist, this gave me the motivation and inspiration to create meaningful artworks in hopes of effectively expressing and sharing my culture and country from multiple perspectives. Thus, being part of this exhibition is life-changing: the opportunity of being able to converse to audiences through my artworks, and possibly inspire them, is exhilarating.