Tagos

Interactive soft sculpture installation | 10 x 12 feet | acrylic paint on suspended pantyliners | 2026

Tagos (2026) is an interactive soft sculpture installation that explores menstruation, vulnerability, and the shared, often unspoken experiences of Filipino women. The work draws inspiration from the Filipino phrase “may tagos ka,” a discreet warning whispered between women to gently alert someone that menstrual blood has stained their clothing—a quiet act of care, solidarity, and protection from public embarrassment.

The installation features a curtain of suspended pantyliners, each marked with hand-painted blood stains. By transforming an everyday object associated with concealment into a large-scale sculptural form, Tagos reclaims menstruation as a visible and valid subject of artistic discourse. The work serves as a metaphor for the enduring, messy, and deeply human journey of womanhood, confronting cultural stigma while celebrating empathy, resilience, and collective female experience.

Integral to the installation is a participatory component titled Freedom Pads. The reverse side of each suspended pad contains a blank sheet of white paper, inviting visitors to write anonymous messages, confessions, reflections, or words of solidarity. Conceived as a safe space for expression, this participatory gesture transforms viewers into contributors, allowing the artwork to evolve through the voices and lived experiences of its audience. In doing so, Tagos extends beyond representation to become a collective archive of women’s stories—both spoken and unspoken.

Tagos was exhibited as part of Ako ‘To: Faces of Filipino Women, a group exhibition organized by the UPLB Gender Center and curated by Dr. Liz Cabrera, at Sining Makiling Gallery, University of the Philippines Los Baños, from March 24 to April 10, 2026.