Auckland based Filipino artist Louie Bretaña expands on the role of stars as guides to navigation and to life with a series of new suspended sculptures. Based on the design of the parol, traditional Christmas lanterns from the Philippines, each work reassigns the object with an indigenous narrative dedicated to a diwata (deity) and embellishes it with contemporary visual narratives by Bretaña. Connecting the old with the new is also a reminder of what was always there – using the figurative and literal action tingala (to look up). Visitors are welcome to lie down on mats to view the sculptures, and receive blessings from each celestial deity.

Bretaña holds a BFA from the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts and a BFA(Hons) and MFA from the University of Auckland Elam School of Fine Arts. He is also exhibiting this summer at Objectspace in a collaborative exhibition with Filipino illustrator Marc Conaco titled Syokes, on until 21 February.