Trauma Bonding Picnic Mat Mini by Tricia SalongaA soft square of shared chaos. At its centre is a reimagining of Matisses The Dance, with dancers locked in a loop that is both tender and turbulent. The phrase Trauma Bonding floats above as part punchline, part confession. Printed on Katrina fabric, this mat transforms an intimate emotional tangle into something you can literally sit with; comforting, familiar, and a little too real. @treesalonga

brought to life through vibrant colours

The name of the piece

and prosperity achieved through perseverance

This particular pattern of Batik is called Kawung Mataram

and represents the artist's warm feelings towards traditional South East Asian family values

the female subject of a folk tale that is the basis of the city’s name

A tiny tribute to the humble red stool found all across Southeast Asia

reborn as a Filipino

The title of the piece

The artist references the landscape and green scenery of Baguio City

and nihilistic female characters Lain Iwakura from Serial Experiments Lain and Lux Lisbon from Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Virgin Suicides

By dressing the subject in luxurious batik and adding his own stylistic flourishes to the portrait