Abundance
Yaz Gaté (née del Mar)
My name is Yaz Gaté (née del Mar) and I’m the daughter of Filipino parents who migrated to Australia in 1977. For many years, I had felt a complete disconnect from my roots. Only when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019 did I realise , “Holy crap, I know nothing. What will I tell my babies?”
And so began my journey into discovering my roots, asking myself, “What do I know?”, and inhaling new information that I continue to discover to this day.
One thing I did know was Filipino food. Tasty and abundant, the ultimate love language. Always more than one option available. Always with rice. Always elevated by the dipping sauces and the floating pieces of calamansi in soy sauce.
I went through two boxes of old photos, hoping to find a photo of my parents’ calamansi tree. But I couldn’t find it. It’s amazing that 45 years of memories are reduced to two shoe boxes. Themes of celebration: of life and death; Catholic milestones like baptism, communion, confirmation and marriage; house and car blessings; birthdays; camping in huge groups.
All of these memories are punctuated by food.
But a photo of the calamansi tree, I could not find. I am left with memories of this tree. I remember its size — HUGE. Of my parents offering the calamansi to family members and friends. The calamansi tree dripping with fruit. Titas and Titos balancing on little ladders, filling plastic bags with these tiny orange balls. These bags were big and bountiful.
Thinking of this tree made me ask — what did this tree symbolise?
It was a symbol of love and offering, of abundance, of tasty food and of healing.
What a magical combination.
One day, I would love to plant my own calamansi tree and share this legacy with my own family. To share the abundance and healing to family and friends who come to visit. ‘Kuhaa, ‘nay daghan’ / ‘Take some, there’s many’
This artwork is a vibrant symbol of abundance.
Yaz Gaté (née del Mar) is an artist specialising in canvas and digital art, with a strong interest in botanicals and their connection to cultural identity. She draws on her own Filipino Australian background, and uses bold and vibrant colours inspired by Filipino desserts. Yaz is a breast cancer survivor, and through her work, art continues to heal, empower, and enable self-expression, shared storytelling, cultural awareness and spark joy for those who engage with it. tinycupboardcreatives.com.au