Bent Python
As a part of Daybreak
January 24th - March 28th 8th, 2026
The Doris McCarthy Gallery
Taras Lachowsky, Philip Leonard Ocampo, Tazeen Qayyum, saysah, Skawennati & Connor Taylor
Curated by Erin Szikora
In Bent Python, Ocampo explores the pre-colonial Filipino myth of the ‘Bakunawa,’ or moon-eating serpent, who is believed to be the cause of lunar eclipses. One version of this tale tells the story of a deity creating seven moons, each intended to illuminate one night of the week. The Bakunawa, enchanted by the moons’ beauty, would rise from the ocean and swallow them whole, darkening the sky and angering local residents. Rushing outdoors, villagers would bang pots and pans to startle the Bakunawa into disgorging the moons. In another version, it was musical instruments that would lull the serpent to sleep.
Ocampo is interested in the universality of mythological narratives. While specific details may differ between region or communities, the underlying themes are shared. Bent Python depicts the titular Bakunawa, from the words *ba(ŋ)kuq ("bent", "curved") and *sawa ("large snake", "python") and is created in layered collage and painting to mimic the fragments of fact and fiction embedded in myth. Fang Charms and Due West are paintings presented on the walls adjacent to the central mural as an extension of the installation, suggesting points where stories may seep out and evolve in different directions.
Written by Erin Szikora
Photo documentation by Toni Hafkenscheid
Printed images, transparent thumb tacks, acryla-gouache and acrylic canvas, MDF, and laser cut wood
Dimensions Variable
2026
Fang Charms
Acryla-gouache and acrylic on images adhered to canvas
10” x 48”
2026
Due West
Acryla-gouache and printed image on laser cut wood
Dimensions Variable
2026