Venus Freed is a collection of interactive blown glass objects, flowers and found materials that conjure the ritual object through the Philippine myth of the ylang ylang, (scientific name, Cananga Odorata), a flower indigenous to the Philippines. Poblador laments the way Western perfume makers have exploited the flower without attributing the rich scent to its country of origin.
Poblador is highly conscious of her cultural heritage and motivated by the longstanding intimacies of Philippine culture as it relates to nature. She sees in the flower a subtle metaphor for the Filipino woman, a colonized body. She decries the loss of identity and empowerment of the Filipino woman in a global setting where consumerism and foreign cultural imperialism hold sway. Her work often delves deeply into themes such as colonialism, loss, cultural identity and the liberation of the third world woman. The artist communicates her insights through the technique of glassblowing and an exploration of the body and the senses.
Exhibit will run till April 15th 2016
