Tag Archives: blanc peninsula


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 →


Louie Cordero: To Infinity And Beyond

Louie Cordero, "Meta I", detail

The Greek word Meta means beyond or after, an extension of what is known.  Louie Cordero uses it as the title of his latest solo exhibit, and true to its definition, he takes us beyond Earth, beyond his previous works, to share his current fascination for outer space—his kitschy-Pinoy, densely packed, brightly colored version of it anyway. Continue reading →


Mike Munoz and His Meditations

Mike Muñoz may not care that his works seem anachronistic.  The overt piousness of the pieces in his solo exhibit, Christiadum, now on view at Blanc Peninsula, is precisely its point. What you want to discover when you view the show is

Mke Munoz, "Mors Vincitur"

the wellspring from which his zeal and earnestness originates.  What would drive an artist, who is not even in his forties, and one counted as a member of Surrounded By Water (a collective that pushed the boundaries of Philippine Contemporary Art) to make pieces that seem such a throwback?  Created not just with such obvious fervor, but with genuine philosophical reflection as well. 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 →


All In The Family: Mariano, Yasmin, and Haraya Ching

Mariano and Haraya Ching, "Jelly Ace Series 5" and "Jelly Ace Series 6", pyrograph and acrylic in wood

Mariano and Haraya Ching, "Jelly Ace Series 5" and "Jelly Ace Series 6", pyrograph and acrylic on wood

Just call it family bonding, Ching-style.  To most parents, especially those with busy careers and young children, spending time with their families means doing things together, mostly on weekends:  eating out, catching a movie, indulging in sports, visiting grandparents.  To artists Yasmin Sison and Mariano Ching,  it is inevitable that in addition to these, art plays a large part in their interaction with their five-year-old son, Haraya. They have  both just come off from doing work for shows out of Manila (Yasmin’s solo, Spaces In Between, was at Artesan in Singapore in June, while Nano participates in Japan’s Aichi Triennale this month). In this exhibit, Games For Growing, at Blanc Peninsula,  they come together as a couple and as a family, showing individual and collaborative work borne out of their role as parents to a precocious child.  To quote from Yasmin’s exhibit statement,”…the exhibition Continue reading →