Tag Archives: blanc peninsula manila


Feasting on Lao Lianben’s Tables

Lao Lianben, "Table With Soot", 20x30 inches, acrylic and graphite on canvas

Quietly and without fanfare—pretty much like his pieces— Lao Lianben exhibited his latest works at Blanc Peninsula sans any opening festivities. As always, his textured tablets, more wall sculpture than just paintings, invite quiet contemplation. This time around, Lao’s “non-colors” of black and white allude to tablescapes, settings that keep to the minimalist aesthetic that this noted abstractionist has practically patented. Continue reading →


September Roundup: Christina Quisumbing Ramilo, Roberto Chabet, Mark Andy Garcia, Jigger Cruz, Dex Fernandez, Bjorn Calleja, Cos Zicarelli, Kawayan de Guia

Jigger Cruz, "Dead End", detail

Between awaiting this upgraded site and attending to a ton of work, September just whizzed by me.  Manila’s art scene yielded some incredible shows.  While I did get the chance to catch most of them, I couldn’t find the time to sit down and write.  For posterity’s sake, I thought I’d document them here anyway.  Here are September 2011’s highlights: Continue reading →


Nikki Luna Says Thanks, But No Thanks

Almost two years ago, I stumbled onto Take Care of Yourself by French artist Sophie Calle.  A message from her boyfriend triggered the development of this powerful piece.  He broke up with her electronically, sent her an email that ended with the admonishment “take care of yourself”.  Calle spent the next twenty four months showing his message to 107 women (including one parrot) and documenting their reactions in poetry and prose, photographs and video.

Nikki Luna, "Gift and Grief"

Continue reading →


Eugene Jarque and Mac Valdezco Ride In Circles

Mac Valdezco and Eugene Jarque call this exhibit Riding In Circle, an awkward title for a wonderful display of their latest work.  Unfortunately, the show ends in a few days.  This post comes a bit too late, but I thought it a pity to let the show pass and allow

Mac Valdezco, detail, "Mini Rider", monoprint on bed of strings

it to simply disappear, swallowed up by the general chaos of the holidays. Continue reading →