Gabriella Pel
This body of work comprising sculptural forms and paintings reflecting medical and body experience, considers the patterns of movement and the intersectionality of people, in relation to migration and the building of community in foreign countries. It focuses in particular on the experience of the largely Filipino nursing export throughout the world.
This is a project that investigates relationships between self and larger societal impacts, what it means to express relief in creative ways within the context of cultural and familial expectation.
This installation of sculptural forms and painted images examines ideas of ability and limitation - what we can and cannot access physically due to design for function. The work relates to the indigenous Filipino concept of **Ginhawa**, which translates as relief. The concept is close to, but not the same as, well-being. It may be understood as the subjective experience of freedom, dignity and justice across interconnected areas of a person’s life, extending beyond a physical health towards a broader cultural context. It suggests that true well being is communal, relational and rooted in harmony with others and nature. The installation’s form and structure reference modernist hospital architecture, challenging ideas of minimalism, necessity, and function. As you walk through the space, the objects place you in familiar place, experienced from an unfamiliar perspective. The environment evokes a sense of personal exposure and resilience held in a careful balance.
Gabriella Pel is a visual artist based in Dublin. Working mainly with transparent materials, Pel creates 3-dimensional installations that combine painting and drawing, with a particular emphasis on color and form. Her work explores multicultural identity and the Filipino diaspora, intersectionality, language, migration and religion. Her current work involves commemorating communities and questioning perceptions of ability. Pel has exhibited in **Down the Road, Around the Corner**, Pallas Projects/Studios (2026), **Better than Ambrosia**, curated by Dylan Yearsley, Orangery, Marlay Park (2025), **Last Minute**, Galleri Monitor, HDK-Valand (2024), and **The Place Project**, IMMA Studios (2023).
