Date of Award
Spring 6-1-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Illustration
First Advisor
Calef Brown
Second Advisor
Leela Corman
Third Advisor
JR Uretsky
Abstract
From July to October 2023, I volunteered at Damayan Migrant Workers Association, a New York City-based grassroots organization run by Filipino im/migrant workers dedicated to combatting labor trafficking. Every meeting opened with the same reminder: stories shared in this room do not leave it. Illustration became a tool for respecting the privacy of the members, many of whom were undocumented. Avoiding faces, I copied down objects, places, maps, and handwriting.
Absence Leaves a Mark explores the idea of illustration as field note when working with migrant populations. Beyond depicting visual witness, illustrated field notes can contain findings from research and conversation. Illustration allows for creative use of space, cropping, and position, and embraces the subjectivity of experience.
My final project is a visual essay about Little Manila, a small area in Queens around which Filipino im/migrants have lived for decades. Created from notes taken during walks, conversations, and data analysis, I narrate my experience as a recent migrant from the Philippines discovering Little Manila, and depict the culture and issues of a community that strives to stay visible in the wake of a pandemic and under the threat of gentrification.
Recommended Citation
Martinez, Nina, "Absence Leaves a Mark: Illustrating Filipino Migrant Stories" (2024). Masters Theses. 1283.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1283
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Included in
Illustration Commons, Migration Studies Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons