'THE COMMON THREAD' PANEL DISCUSSION AND ANTHILL POP-UP
Lauren Hernandez
On Saturday 8th February, we were delighted to be involved in a panel discussion presented by The Sari-Sari Sisterhood at Gallery 76, in Concord West. This was a great initiative to foster community and bring together women from varying backgrounds to spark conversation. Hosted in the gallery space of our exhibition ‘DUALITY’ it was a beautiful union of textile art and textile apparel made by Filipinas.
The facilitator of the discussion was Cebu-based Anya Lim, founder of ANTHILL Fabric Gallery, a Philippines-based social and cultural enterprise working on elevating Filipino culture through contemporary and circular design to sustain livelihood. Here we candidly discussed the theme 'THE COMMON THREAD' - “Weaving identity and connections between two lands" and how “the woven cloth” has shaped our business and creative practice. As creatives, we shared both our experiences of being Filipina in the diaspora and the effects of immigrant life. It was such a great way to connect with our audience who was a combination of fellow Australian-Filipinas and non-Filipinas, artists, creatives, budding entrepreneurs and other textile enthusiasts from all walks of life.
Lauren and Kass Hernandez of Crossing Threads with Anya Lim of ANTHILL
Lauren and Kass Hernandez are first-generation Australian-Filipinas. In-line with Crossing Threads’ February exhibition ‘DUALITY’, this panel discussion was a relevant extension of the sisters’ blended Aussie-Filipino heritage. Growing up in a western landscape, the sisters uncovered interesting insights into their identity and how it is inextricably influenced by both the Aussie ideals and traditional values embedded by their immigrant parents. The panel discussion encouraged participation from the audience and everyone was welcome to speak their truth and share their perspectives.
Everyone keen to try on the beautiful pieces by ANTHILL
Wonderful meet and greets!
Traditional Filipino textiles and various wares by ANTHILL
ANTHILL which stands for Alternative Nest and Trading/ Training Hub for Indigenous/ Ingenious Little Livelihood seekers is a social and cultural enterprise working on elevating Filipino culture through contemporary and circular design. It supports cultural preservation and sustainable livelihood through community enterprise building among its partner artisan communities.
At this event, ANTHILL brought with them their best sellers, heritage collection and accessories from Sesotunawa. Part of the Sydney leg of their Australian tour, Anya loved to connect through heart woven conversations. Throughout the panel discussion, she helped navigate what binds us as women, what cultivates our crafts, shared motivations and how we find an authentic connection. Together we celebrated the bare hands, our relationship with the loom, and how it transforms the textile to become a tapestry of stories.
Together we stand!
The Sari-Sari Sisterhood (SSS) came out of an idea from The Entree.Pinays, who are a collective of Melbourne-based female entrepreneurs raising awareness of Filipino cuisine, culture, and communities through creative events.
The Entree.Pinays was co-founded by Grace Guinto and Fides Santos-Arguelles, who believe in the power of Filipino women and Women of Colour (WOC), and providing a platform to help connect and celebrate the diversity of talents that make up the colourful kaleidoscope of our migrant experiences here in Australia.
"Sari-sari" is a Tagalog word that means "variety". It is a word ubiquitous for the Filipino entrepreneurial spirit, where "sari-sari stores", the Filipino equivalent for the Aussie milk bar, have become environments for empowering Filipino women in practices in micro-retail business.
The word “sari-sari” is also a reference to the variety of career and life pivots many in our sisterhood experience and share.
The Sari-Sari Sisterhood aims to become a network to inspire, connect, and support Filipinas and WOC in their passion projects, side hustles, or full-time ventures - in a similar way that our own mothers found their network of "kumares" when they first moved to Australia from the Philippines. Through the power of conversation, The Sari-Sari Sisterhood is a platform to share personal and entrepreneurial stories to connect and empower one another.
“Merienda” (snacks and drinks) were be served by The Entree Pinays.
Delicious traditional Filipino dessert treats were supplied by Hannah from Handmade Desserts
Thank you to our special attendees for joining us and being part of the heart woven conversation!
Parting advice for fellow female entrepreneurs:
Back yourself and stay true to your art practice
Fail early and fast. Mistakes mean you’re growing. Learn from your lessons and keep growing!
Always visit your “why”. This will be your guiding star!
A big thank you to The Sari-Sari Sisterhood, Anya Lim and ANTHILL and the team at Gallery76 / The Embroiderers’ Guild Of NSW for hosting us. Who knew that we were once strangers and through the powers of the digital world, along with the shared passion and initiative to cultivate connection - we made this day happen!
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Images by Maysie Lecciones