Maia Cruz Palileo's "SATOR ROTAS": A Journey Through Memory and the Philippine Landscape

Unearthing Hidden Histories

The narrative of U.S. involvement in the Philippines often overlooks the complexities of a colonial past. American influence, while presented as modernization, resulted in cultural shifts and the suppression of existing Filipino systems. Artist Maia Cruz Palileo confronts this obscured history, bringing to light the untold stories of colonization, migration, and generational passage.

A Vibrant Homecoming

Following a sold-out debut at Frieze Los Angeles, Palileo's solo exhibition "SATOR ROTAS" expands across both of David Kordansky Gallery's Los Angeles spaces. This exhibition marks a pivotal moment, fueled by Palileo’s journey to their ancestral homeland in the Philippines. After years of experiencing the Philippines secondhand through stories and images, this first-hand encounter became a catalyst for a new body of work pulsating with vibrant hues and sweeping strokes inspired by the lush Philippine forests.

"I could describe that experience as falling through a rabbit hole," Cruz Palileo shared. "I've always been on the other side of it… I finally got firsthand experience.”

Animistic Landscapes and Ancestral Echoes

Palileo's paintings transport viewers to an imaginative realm where ancestry, flora, and fauna intertwine with animistic spirituality. Unlike the spectral figures of their previous work, these canvases teem with a newfound vitality. "I think the spectral aspect of it was because the Philippines is my home, where I've never lived," Palileo reflects. "It existed before in this sort of spectral zone."

By weaving together familial archives with these narratives, Palileo reclaims intimate personal stories, challenging the exploitative nature of ethnographic imagery.

Reconnecting with Roots

This journey to the Philippines was uniquely personal for Palileo, accompanied only by their cousin. Returning to their grandparents' town, they were met with recognition despite having never lived there. “People knew our name; they knew our family… I grew up here, but I felt the home was somewhere else,” Palileo explains. “I think that’s kind of what allowed me to sort of take off that snail shell.”

The Diaspora's Embrace

Through mirroring and echoing across time and place, Palileo captures the complexities of longing and belonging central to the diasporic experience. The Philippines emerges not just as a physical location, but as a multidimensional entity encompassing landscape, people, mythologies, and the narratives that shape its identity.

Between Worlds: Reflections and Relics

Palileo's artistic techniques, including doubling and mirroring, convey the intersection of multiple temporal and spatial planes. Figures, both human and animal, emerge and dissolve into the foliage, highlighting the symbiotic relationship between living entities and their environment. Hand-sculpted clay figures appear as unearthed relics, symbolizing the resilience of Filipino heritage against colonial disruption.

Symbolic Fauna: Domestication and Primal Instinct

Recurring images of dogs and other domestic animals function on multiple levels. They represent both metaphors for domestication and subjection and archetypal symbols connecting to ancient mythologies. These animals act as reflective agents, embodying the tension between civilizing forces and primal instinct, recalling a time of untamed spirits in harmony with the natural world.

A Quiet Contemplation

In the second gallery space, a quieter atmosphere prevails. Sculptural elements and a restrained palette create a liminal space evoking stillness. Two lamps, like relics of a forgotten civilization, radiate a gentle warmth alongside an eerie presence. They symbolize the impermanence of existence, silently witnessing the passage of time and the rise and fall of empires.

Reactivating Memory Through Art

The gallery becomes a site for summoning both personal and collective memory. Palileo's canvases, imbued with a dreamlike quality, breathe new life into forgotten histories. Through painting, the artist heals generational trauma and honors memory not as a static archive, but as a living, pulsing force.

Maia Cruz Palileo’s "SATOR ROTAS" is on view at David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles through April 26, 2025.