Relics is a work-in-progress performance and the first manifestation of the Lost Ancestors series—an evolving cosmology of work that Joshua Serafin is currently developing.

In this series, the artist explores the complex histories, connections, and traumas within their family's lineage . The work departs from the journey of their great-great-grandfather, Shentaro Esaki, a first-generation Japanese migrant worker who moved to the Philippines in 1903. Joshua's interest lies in uncovering forgotten narratives and examining genealogical heritage, particularly inrelation to its ties to colonial history.

The work raises questions such as:How many people in the world have experienced this?What happens when we lose touch with our ancestors and our lineage?Do we truly know who we are if we don’t know where we come from?What does the body become in the act of departure?What does the body become when we exorcise generational violence?

Migration, displacement, and trauma disrupt lineages, leaving behind fragments of what once was. Relics seeks to navigate these ruptures , interrogating what is lost, what remains, and what can be reclaimed.