A second generation Filipina American, Bridges was largely unaware of her Chinese ancestry until recently, though in retrospect there were clues, such as the use of Chinese spices in her mother¡¯s traditional Philippine meals. In?The Silence,??uses family photos, public archives, and other source materials to fill in the gaps of her own history, much of it erased through generations of conflict in the region. This exhibition?explores both Bridges¡¯ Filipino and new-found Chinese heritage through her primary medium of painting.
The Silence?looks at changes in Philippine culture through women¡¯s dresses, a nod to new trade and the rise in Chinese immigration during periods of major Spanish and American colonization. Landscapes of the sea as well as boats represent?the artist¡¯s?family¡¯s journey from South China to the Cagayan province of the Philippines. Bridges digs through archives in an attempt to understand the events that have shaped her family¡¯s fractured history and to resurrect a forgotten past that, while not spoken of, is deeply felt. more info? | 
