Artist’s Room: Augustine Paredes 

Augustine Paredes’ artist’s room brings together his own personal histories and stories that explore his relationship to identity and family. Focusing on his personal journey as a migrant – constantly navigating between time, places and identities – the works delve into the complexities of his own experiences and the enduring effects of colonialism. 

Augustine’s practice has primarily centred on photography. Gradually moving away from the camera as a main source of image-making, he has embraced a more process-based approach that focuses on the inherent qualities and agency of materials used within his work. This shift has led him to reconnect with his own history and memories, while confronting the challenges and violence he’s endured as a migrant. 

The exhibition’s central work is Mother – a portrait of Marife, an all-important figure in his life and one that embodies his connection to home and sense of belonging. Other works present traces of burns, verses of poems, paintings, ink stains, fibres, pearls and wool threads. Together, these works explore the artist’s reflections on guilt, desire and devotion. 

About the Artist

Augustine Paredes (b. 1994, lives and works in Frankfurt am Main and Dubai) is a Filipino multi-disciplinary artist working with photography, painting, installation and poetry. Through his practice, Augustine questions what it means to desire in the light of migration, identity and longing.

His work has been included in group and solo exhibitions across the UAE, Germany, Philippines, Malaysia, Latvia, Australia and the United States. He has been commissioned by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, Alserkal Arts Foundation, Art Dubai, Warehouse 421, Goethe Institut, and the Royal Commission of AlUla, and has participated in residencies and fellowships which include the AlUla Artist Residency, Salama Bint Hamdan Emerging Artist Fellowship, Campus Art Dubai, and the International Summer School of Photography in Latvia. 

As an author, Augustine has published several art and poetry books, including Conversations at the end of the universe (2020), Long Night Stands With Lonely, Lonely Boys (2021), Happy to be here to be happy (2022), The Bitter Taste of Sweetness (2022), and Slow Disco (2024).

Additionally, he is the co-founder of Sa Tahanan Collective alongside curator Anna Bernice delos Reyes, aiming to create a platform for Filipino art and creatives through exhibitions, art sales, and collaborations.

Drawn largely from the Art Jameel Collection, Artist’s Rooms is a series of solo exhibitions by influential, innovative artists, with a particular focus on practitioners from West Asia, South Asia and Africa. These capsule shows are collaborative and curated in dialogue with the artist.