In their artistic practice, Joshua Serafin addresses the wounds left by colonisation on body and community. In Pearls (60’), the artist draws from non-normative genders revered in pre-colonial Philippines, where high priestesses embodied this diversity through generations. Alongside fellow Filipino performers Lukresia Quismundo and Bunny Cadag, Serafin reclaims this heritage and envisions a future where bodies are once again divine and free from conventional gender norms. Pearls becomes a healing exorcise, transforming dark and traumatic histories into beauty, akin to pearls forming in an oyster’s mantle.
Performers: Joshua Serafin, Bunny Cadag, Lukresia Quismundo.
Disclaimer: Flashing and strong lights and haze effects are used in the performance. The performance may include elements of partial nudity.
