In her work, Marigold Santos explores the ways in which ideas of self can become multiple, fragmented, and dislocated, and then reinvented and recreated through a reflection of what is considered home. Reoccurring within her visual vocabulary is the adoption of the Asuang, a feared and vile mythological creature of Filipino folklore that possesses an inherent multiple self, both vampire and viscera-sucking witch, and who also has the ability to physically fragment, specifically self-segmenting at the waist. The Asuang represents a body that is in process, and in its plurality can be faced with contradictions specific to itself. Combining past and present narratives, Santos builds a personal mythology based on fantasy and the supernatural.

 

For this exhibition that combines drawing and sculpture, the fragmented and multiple self is investigated through a hybridization of both Filipino and Western folklore, pop culture from the 80’s and 90’s, and sports such as boxing, alongside an exploration of the gear worn and associated with protecting the body. Drawing from absurd parallels between witchcraft and boxing, these images consider the strength and power placed within a system of beliefs; whether it be a series of articulated and coordinated movements, objects on which we impart our trust that become amulets and extensions of our bodies, or the inevitable duel with ourselves where we stand at once intangled and distincted as opponents embracing.

 

Systems that compete in this work define themselves through their opposition. They explore a self that is neither fixed nor stable, but that celebrates multiplicity and hybridity between notions of the body and otherworldly confrontations. This internal conflict, generated by the simultaneous impression of division and acceptance, questions the desire for stability, preservation, presence and protection.

 

 

Marigold Santos pursues an interdisciplinary art practice involving drawn and printed works, sculpture, animation, and sound. Her imagery arises from folklore of East and West, pop culture, science, and personal myth reconfigured into the supernatural, and considers the particular experience of migration and the fragmented/multiple self. She holds a BFA with Honours from the University of Calgary, and completed her MFA at Concordia University in Montréal, Québec, in 2011. She is a recipient of numerous awards such as the Faculty of Fine Arts Fellowship (Concordia) and, in 2013, was the recipient of a grant from the Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec (CALQ). Her work has been featured in solo exhibitions in Parisian Laundry’s Bunker Space, at ACE art in Winnipeg, the Khyber Center for the Arts in Halifax and, most recently, in an exhibition at Truck Gallery in Calgary. Upcoming projects include exhibitions at the ODD Gallery in Dawson City, Yukon, and Forest City Gallery in London, Ontario. She currently resides and practices in Montréal, Québec.