FILIPINO FOOD AND STORIES AT FABRICATED BOUNDARIES EXHIBIT GALLERY TALK, KATZEN ARTS CENTER

PRESS RELEASE
WDC-70-2025

28 October 2025

Embassy Press and Information Section

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In partnership with the American University Katzen Arts Center and the US-Philippine Society (USPS), the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. invited the public to the Fabricated Boundaries Gallery Talk, hosted by Dr. Tiffany Hunt, Adjunct Professor at American University’s Department of Art. The event featured Filipina-American artists Mic Diño Boekelmann, Jeanne Jalandoni, and Patricia Orpilla, in celebration of Filipino American History Month. The exhibition also showcased select works by the late Pacita Abad, alongside pieces from the featured artists. Guests enjoyed an afternoon of art, dialogue, and Filipino merienda on Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM at the Katzen Arts Center, American University.

The Fabricated Boundaries exhibition showcases powerful works in painting, sculpture, printmaking, and textile art that explore identity, migration, and belonging. Using materials such as abaca and piña fibers, embroidery, and weaving, the artists bridge traditional craftsmanship with contemporary narratives. At its heart lies the Filipino concept of habi—to weave—not only as a physical act but as a metaphor for interlacing stories, histories, and identities.

Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez reflected on how Fabricated Boundaries captures the intertwined narratives of art, identity, and belonging. “Moreover, the act of weaving, or habi, is more than a craft,” the Ambassador noted. “It is a way of thinking about how lives are shaped by migration and memory, by the traditions we carry and the changes we embrace. We see the journeys of these women navigating between real, perceived, and imagined boundaries. These are personal stories, yet they resonate collectively across oceans, binding communities together through shared experiences.”

US-Philippine Society Executive Director Hank Hendrickson highlighted the significance of the event within the broader celebration of Filipino American History Month. “As we celebrate Filipino American History Month, we have this opportunity to view, explore, and better understand how the artists draw on themes from their Philippine heritage,” he remarked. “By employing indigenous fabrics, materials, and techniques, they express the richness and complexity of their multilayered Filipino American identities.”

In keeping with Filipino hospitality, guests were treated to merienda — light Filipino refreshments that invite warmth, connection, and conversation. Just as weaving intertwines threads into fabric, merienda brings people together through the shared act of nourishment and storytelling.

The Fabricated Boundaries: Filipina American Textile & Fiber Artists Exhibit is presented in partnership with the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center and the US-Philippine Society, with support from the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. The Exhibit is open to the public until 07 December 2025. More information about the exhibit can be found here: https://www.american.edu/cas/museum/2025/fabricated-boundaries.cfm .

###