Mai'dasar: to Feast
Malaya Leal
Edinburgh College of Art
I am a specialised surface pattern designer and visual artist passionate about storytelling through colour, culture and craftsmanship. For my graduation collection, concluding my Bachelor of Arts in Textiles degree at the Edinburgh College of Art this year, I created “Mai’dasar: A Feast,” reimagining three ancestral Filipino dishes - “Kinilaw,” “Sinigang” and “Paksiw” - through contemporary sculpture, illustration and hand-printed mural compositions. “Mai’dasar: A Feast”, symbolises the Mana and celebrates the resilience of indigenous Filipino identity while honouring and amplifying Filipino heritage across the diaspora. “Mai’dasar is an Ilocano term that means “to prepare.” It refers to the ritual of preparing ingredients and setting the table before a shared meal, symbolising care, connection and celebration.” As an extension of the collection, I also explored the revitalisation of the Filipino ancestral writing system Baybayin by presenting the preparation of each dish in Ilocano Baybayin. "Mai’dasar: The Feast" was exhibited at the Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show and New Designers London, showcasing my commitment to preserving cultural heritage through contemporary visual art. Through my passion for colours and heritage, I am a proud recipient of The Dyers Company Colour Prize, the Visual Artists Association New Artist Award and was recognised and appreciated for my crafts and textile techniques by the London Textile Printers. I am also featured in the Philippine Art and Culture Exchange, recognised as a Filipino artist and cultural initiative in the diaspora in Brussels, Belgium. I am a proud Filipina trans woman living in Edinburgh, continuing to nourish my connection to my origins through my art. My passion for exploring culture and food has become a defining element of my craftsmanship. My adopted aesthetics reflect the visual language of barkcloth painting, bridging my ancestral cultural connection with the Pacific Islands.