By Eugenia Alcaide
When I first saw Eugenia Alcaide’s portraits, they stood stacked on the grass, newly unpacked, ready for the bustle of this year’s Art In The Park. The next time I looked, perhaps two hours later, they had disappeared, carted off by those entranced with the novelty of her work. Continue reading
Ramona dela Cruz-Gaston and Froilan Calayag, "The Mad Calendar", oil on canvas, 7ft x 7ft
Now and again, I find myself swinging by Vinyl on Vinyl. I first dropped by their space at The Collective some two years ago when I saw a group of young illustrators, among them Dex Fernandez and Zeus Bascon, hanging work for an exhibit. Owners Gaby dela Merced and Pia Reyes were only too welcoming, happily clueing me in on Manila’s then still new (at least to me) craze for collecting designer toys. Continue reading
Nikki Luna, "Precious and Fertile", detail
The word beat connotes either the pulsating rhythm of a musical piece or the exhaustion resulting from defeat. The first definition puts us in mind of a fun-filled frenzy while the second brings on images of imminent collapse. The contrasting styles of Ernest Concepcion and Nikki Luna parallel this duality. Yet, as this exhibit at the Lopez Museum shows, when deftly handled, Ernest’s humorous illustrations and Nikki’s pleas for the oppressed can both make for one powerful show. Continue reading
Nona Garcia, "Clara", detail
Digital Tagalog
Last year, while visiting Manila, Lani Maestro saw Poklong Anading’s U-turn at the residence of interior decorator and artist Yola Johnson. Made for the inaugural exhibit of Finale Gallery’s new space in 2008, Poklong’s piece of two empty cans of paint held together by an arc of neon so impressed Lani that she decided to seek out the younger artist. “When I saw this one work, that’s it!” she jokingly declared. “I didn’t want to see any more!” Continue reading
Geraldine Javier, "Red Fights Back", detail
As always, you get a satisfying variety at Silverlens. This time, their three simultaneous exhibits take us to Red Riding Hood’s lair, bring us some corners of the sky, and show some skinskin. Continue reading
Mac Valdezco, "Cloud Gatherers 2"
Does Mac Valdezco ever underwhelm? If we go by her solo exhibit now running at Avellana Art Gallery, apparently not. She manages to exceed my expectations each time she transforms the most banal and nondescript accessories into fantastic organisms. In this show, she has extra-terrestrials on her mind, and uses science fiction as inspiration for the work she has created to fill the entire gallery. Continue reading
Noi Gonzales, "Pakikisama", at Pinto Art Gallery
I’ve been stranded in the seven kingdoms of Westeros these past few weeks, ensnared by the five mammoth volumes of The Game of Thrones. I thought it high time to come back to reality, to catch up on Manila’s art scene—my original form of escape. I wanted to see some exhibits that were due to close, and to make sure I made it to some of this weekend’s more promising openings.
My two-day art binge took me from the heart of Taguig’s Global City, to the streets of Makati and yonder, all the way up to the hills of Antipolo. Continue reading
Kiri Dalena, "Washed Out", video still and installation view
Trust Kiri Dalena to bring recent history home to us without resorting to horrific images of tragedy and destruction, but by making us feel the power of the river at the heart of a natural calamity. Continue reading
Waiting to move to BGC: Plet Bolipata's metal doodled animal pairs and mosaic benches reflected in a puddle after a night of rain at Casa San Miguel, Zambales. Photo by Elmer Borlongan
Almost exactly a year ago, Plet Bolipata first laid eyes on the parcel of land set aside for the BGC Offsite Gallery, at the heart of bustling Global City in Taguig. It had been drizzling then, and she had just come from a meeting in Makati with her husband, Elmer Borlongan. She had by then exhibited a series of mosaic sculptures, so an invitation from the Bonifacio Arts Foundation Inc. (BAFI) to put in a proposal for more ambitious work, suited for the outdoors, seemed like a natural progression. Continue reading