Tolentino Lemons
2025
Silicone, soy wax, cotton wicks, lemon oil
These lemon candles are rooted in memory, family, and Filipino cultural inheritance. They’re inspired by the lemon tree my late grandfather planted in California and serve as a living gesture of home and tradition. For decades, its fruit flavored traditional dishes like pancit, and became central to comforting morning teas, and post-gathering gifts, symbolizing love and generosity.
After my grandfather’s passing, my grandmother and her daughters continued to care for the tree. Through grief, it remained a source of comfort and connection. In Filipino Catholic tradition, mourning is deeply communal. Though I don’t often practice it myself, the nine-day prayer ceremonies for my grandparents moved me profoundly.
In their memory, I cast real lemons from the Tolentino tree into silicone moulds, creating soy wax candles that hold both scent and form. Meant to be lit, gifted, or placed on altars, these candles carry light, remembrance, and the enduring rituals of care.
Tolentino Lemons II
2025
Porcelain, glaze
Using a plaster mould and slip-casting, I created porcelain Tolentino Lemons as physical, permanent objects of remembrance.
Transitions
Acci Gallery 1652 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94709
The Tolentino Lemons are apart of the “Where are you from? Where are you going? Transitions” exhibition and will be on view and for sale from August 30th through October 5th of 2025 at Acci Gallery in Berkeley, California. Opening reception will be September 6th, where guests can meet and mingle with the artists.
