“Firstborn”
Alyssa Powell-Ascura
8 Mar → 16 Apr 2025
Window

A photograph of a young girl holding a soft toy standing on a green couch in a living room.
Alyssa Powell-Ascura, 'Firstborn', 2025.

Now showing in the West Space Window, Firstborn by Alyssa Powell-Ascura.

Firstborn is a new video essay forming part of an ongoing series of works by the artist exploring the complex emotional and cultural weight of life as the eldest sibling, within a broader interrogation of familial and societal power structures.

An essay, a series of conversations, and a visual diary, Firstborn examines the often unspoken responsibilities of this familial role — as protector, caretaker, and role model. Powell-Ascura reflects on the tension between familial duty and personal desire, and the way an eldest sibling's sense of self is shaped by societal expectations and individual sacrifice.

Firstborn marks the starting point for Powell-Ascura's investigations into the generational and emotional burdens that are passed down, especially to women, and the ways in which our place within family has an influence on our place in broader society.

Program

Artist Talk, Sat 12 April, 3 → 4pm

A conversation between Alyssa Powell-Ascura and Ronen Jafari framed Alyssa's work within familial and societal power structures, and generational burdens within a diasporic community. Filipino treats provided by Sweet Cora.

An install shot of the corridor out the front of West Space. There are two large windows lined with white skirting and the narrow window exhibition platform. In the window platform, a screen displays an image of 5 yellow fruits on a checkered table cloth. The screen is installed on a thick vertical beam for structural integrity.
a screen installation in the narrow, tall gallery window, projecting some fine text accompanied by an image in the bottom right corner of the screen. The image shows some animal forms lazing on a patch of grass by a segment of river.. Above the screen is the title of the exhibition in sharp font accompanied by the artists' name. The screen is attached to a large black bar that sits upright.
A person in a short pink top with long brown hair and glasses has their legs folded on a rug leaning on one arm, gazing and focused toward the camera posing. They are situated in front of the gallery, narrow window space, which exhibits a screen with dispersed text installed on a large vertical black beam for stability.
two long rows of people sit at the edges of an open corridor, on both sides. There is a carpet in the foreground where tow people are talking. Everyone's gases are directed toward these figures in discussion, who in front of them lies a blanket-like cloth full of plant matter or materials. The even is taking place out the front of West Space.
Two figures are in discussion holding microphones at the front of the artists' exhibition window display. The window is exhibiting a screen with text installed on a large black vertical pole. They are both smiling and in dialogue assumably about the work. In front of them is an open blanket-like cloth holding a chopping board covered in a specific plant-like matter or material.
A person with dark brown hair, wearing a cap and a black tshirt speaks into a microhpone, with their legs crossed on a blanket. They are situated in front of the narrow, gallery window space. They look deep in thought whilst speaking, assumably about the work behind them. In front of the person softly lays some red and yellow fruit forms on a black and white checkered cloth.
A group of people line the edges of an open corridor listening to some figures speak. The main speaking figure is wearing deep purple holding a microphone as they smile and gaze around at the people listening. Another figure with long brown hair in pink stares, listening, to the talking person. Theyre legs are folded. In front of them is a cloth holding some fruit-like forms on a chopping board, assumably informing their discussion.
A person with long brown hair, glasses and a pink short sleeve shirt poses with a plate of biscuits, leaning forward amid a room of other people. You can identify more food in the backdrop, as though an event. The biscuits are cream-coloured with chocolate in the middle, coated in icing sugar.
Some brightly wrapped, consumable lolly-like forms sit inside a small rounded basket on a bench. They are in colours of blue, yellow, pink, red, purple, green and black. In the background one can vaguely distinguish a plate of biscuits and another cardboard tray of some nibbly food, for eating. The vibrant fore-grounded edible forms appear wrapped in a tissue-paper-like material, with care.
A person with long brown hair, glasses and wearing a pink short sleeve shirt tucked into jeans, smiles and gazes at a cake-like scroll for eating. On top of the sweet scroll is a number 1 on a toothpick. They look very happy, infront of the window exhibition display. You can assume the cake is of some significance to the figure shown or exhibition on display.

Alyssa Powell-Ascura is an emerging creative in Tarntanya/Adelaide, working in the intersections of food, culture and community and intertwining personal history with broader societal narratives.

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