Earlier this year we went to a talk at the National Gallery of Australia by Philippine artist Rodel Tapaya. His work is an exuberant mix of the contemporary, political and the mythic.
Modern Manananggals, 2013, wood, brass, silver, fibreglass, epoxy and oil paint
The sculptural work I sketched, above, of suspended figures holding suitcases comments on the impact on the children of parents forced to work overseas. He uses the image of the manananggal, the Philippines equivalent of the vampire. These creatures leave the lower half of their body behind, as they fly off nightly to drink the blood of pregnant women. The contention of this work is that Philippino parents earn an income by leaving their own children behind to work as carers for other people’s children.
leonieandrews 
That sounds like a great exhibition and a strong parrallel between the vampires and the workers makes me think of wet nursing
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Yes, that is definitely a a good parallel. Tapaya was very strong in his comments about the negative impact on the Philippino children. That it wasn’t only the physical absences of the parent, but the re-direction of their parent’s emotional nuturing to the wealthy employee’s children.
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Yes, it’s yet another more complex level of exploitation.
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interesting response to this strange time of seeking a rewarding existence for every living soul on this planet
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