TORONTO — While many might think of epiphytes as rootless, these intriguing plants actually possess unique root systems that adapt to their surroundings. In her exhibition Epiphytic Elucidations at Patel Brown Gallery, Calgary-based artist Marigold Santos explores this concept beyond a mere metaphor. The show employs epiphytes — plants that thrive on other plants without causing harm — as a lens to examine the intricate formation of diasporas through material labor.
Santos delves into both her own creative process and the histories embedded in her materials. A standout piece, “shroud epiphyte (bilibid chair)” (all works 2025), draws inspiration from a 1914 photograph of a Filipina mother incarcerated in Manila’s Bilibid Prison, seated in a rattan peacock chair. This chair, crafted by imprisoned artisans under American colonial rule and later sold globally, became a design icon despite its exploitative origins. Santos depicts the subject as an epiphyte on the chair, highlighting the parasitic nature disguised as benevolence under colonial rule.
The exhibition emphasizes labor embedded in each piece. In “nacre,” Santos uses hand-cleaned, acid-treated capiz shells to create a form reminiscent of the aswang, a shape-shifting entity from Philippine folklore, adorned with brass eyes. This transformation of material parallels the migrant experience of rebuilding one’s identity. Another piece, “shroud (kalabaw and death mask),” juxtaposes a water buffalo with a gold-masked figure, echoing precolonial artistry and colonial exploitation. Santos balances the duality of inheritance and theft, showcasing resistance against imperialism through cultural resilience.
Santos’s artworks are vibrant and otherworldly, yet their strength lies in their structure. As curators Chloe Panaligan and Marissa Largo explain, Santos’s approach reflects the diasporic journey of fragmenting and reassembling identity through cultural exchange. Each material choice carries the legacy of labor — from imprisoned weavers to shell harvesters and Santos herself. The narrative insists that diaspora is defined not by loss but by the enduring labor that sustains survival.
Marigold Santos: Epiphytic Elucidations is on view at Patel Brown (21 Wade Avenue, Unit 2, Toronto, Canada) until February 28. The exhibition was curated by the gallery.
