Dumputin

“Dumputin” means “pick it up” in Tagalog.

In this Choreography Walk for International Dance Day 2026, this piece combines the concept of my fashion show BURARA with the aesthetics of my two favourite performance artists, Lee Bul and Mierle Laderman Ukeles. Such a monumental experience to mirror their performances.

“dumputin” focuses on Filipino labour and the care present in everyday interactions—where space is given to the worker, instead of the worker always yielding space.

During the performance, I noticed that the only people who interacted with me were four Filipino individuals. I’m not entirely sure why—maybe it was because I’m Filipino myself and felt more approachable, or maybe they recognized a shared kind of labour in what I was doing. Cleaning is a form of work deeply familiar within Filipino communities, often unseen yet constant.

I found it so striking that it was only them who chose to speak to me. In that moment, it felt like an unspoken understanding—of care, of labour, of presence.