Home is where the calamansi is
Brian Llagas
In this artwork, the fluid lines and the food, airborne and flying, symbolise the zest that calamansi brings not just to Filipino migrants' food but also to our lives and shared experiences.
Wherever I may be, a squeeze of calamansi instantly transports me back to the Philippines. Its sweet-tart flavour adds brightness and zest to my favourite Filipino comfort foods - inihaw na baboy, pansit palabok, calamansi juice, and toyomansi dipping sauce. The taste gives me the warm and fuzzies, ending my homesickness and replacing it with happy memories of my mum's cooking.
I left home nearly 20 years ago, living in Saigon, Vietnam for 11 years before moving to Melbourne, Australia, which I now call home. Cooking Filipino food is the next best thing to a phone call to family and friends in Manila and instantly bridges the distance between us. What caps it off is a squeeze of calamansi that intensifies the flavours and brings a bit of cheer to what I am eating. You can say that a drop of calamansi is liquid gold to overseas Filipinos.
Born and bred in Manila, and after calling Saigon home for more than a decade, Brian Rodrigo Llagas now lives and works in Melbourne. He is a design director by day -- working on branding and packaging design for well-loved iconic Aussie brands -- and a digital artist after hours. His aesthetic is bold simple lines, bright but muted colours, and a subtle visual gag.