Beyond the Mango Tree

Beyond the Mango Tree, 2024

35.5 inches x 35.5 inches

oil on canvas

Original Painting by Marianne Valdez

I’ve learned that it takes eight years for a mango tree to produce fruit from seed. I’ve watched the branches stretch their fingers through the soil and hoist their bodies up from the earth, twisting their trunks and cracking their spines after a long day of progress. I’ve watched the leaves unfurl, cradling tiny blossoms that inhale the sun and exhale sweet fruit by the hundreds. Where I lay, I see the Philippine hanging parrots (kulasisi) have arrived. They scramble for one bite, then another, and another. It doesn’t matter that they’re messy eaters, they know it’s the best time for mangoes. I watch them leave one by one and wonder when they’ll return. Maybe then it will be my turn to feel the wind, standing firm with plenty for all. But until that day, I’ll keep learning how to breathe.

A gentle reminder for my seventeen year old self about the time it takes to flourish. A big marker of abundance is having the ability to share from an overflowing cup.

-

In exhibition at the Vancouver Philippine Consulate until early January, 2025. Originals acquired from this exhibition during this time will be delayed for shipment until the new year.

Original Painting arrives signed by the artist with a certificate of authenticity. For framing options, contact the artist at myriadmaker.contact@gmail.com.

Art Prints are available in sizes A4 and A3+.

Worldwide shipping