Drawing Displacement: Archiving Salvadorian Testimonios in ​so-called Australia

• In Event: Latin American Migrations to Asia Pacific Countries

Abstract

This presentation introduces a bilingual (Spanish/English) illustrative-narrative e-publication that documents the stories of ten Salvadorians who arrived in Australia through the Refugee and Humanitarian Program. Developed by two community-based artist-researchers with lived experience of displacement from the same country, the 90-page digital publication blends testimonial conversations with original illustrations by award-winning artist Lee Lai, creating a visual archive that amplifies migrant memory and voice. Spanning multiple Australian cities—including Boorloo Country (Perth), Gadigal Country (Sydney), Meanjin Country (Brisbane), Narrm Country (Melbourne) —the project maps Salvadorian diasporic presence across the continent, foregrounding the emotional, cultural, and political contours of long term forced displacement. The publication will be housed in both digital and physical spaces, including the Museum of the Word and Image (MUPI) in El Salvador, Arts Gen’s library in Footscray, the Melbourne Art Library (MAL), and the Immigration Museum, creating transnational points of connection between Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. Drawing Displacement offers a counter-archive that seeks to gather narratives of resistance and memory making. This presentation will reflect on the collaborative process of bringing the project to life—from community engagement and storytelling to illustration and publication design.

*The project is supported by Creative Australia, RMIT University, the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada, Western University.

Authors

• Glenda G Mejía, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University)

• Tania Canas, Western University