In the absence of any exhibit notes or artists’ statements, it seems safe to assume that The Death of Death (Is Alive and Kicking) is a group show about death. Simply go by the number of skulls up on the walls of the Art Center at SM Megamall. It would have been nice to understand what went behind the more subtle, less archetypal works. But then again, sometimes a piece should just hit you, make an impact on first impression. After all, art need not always explain the meaning of life. Or in this case, death. Continue reading →
Cos Zicarelli veers to the dark side. Literally. In this show, we are the kids that your parents warned you about, which opened a few days ago at Art Informal, he makes liberal use of the color black for his paintings on canvas, works in ink on paper, and for the installation that serves as his show’s most commanding piece. Continue reading →
I had never heard of cargo cults in the South Pacific islands before I came to view Cargo and Decoy, Roberto Chabet‘s ongoing show at MO Space. What a fascinating notion, the idea of an actual religion that believes in obtaining blessings through creating crude facsimiles of objects or situations that they long for. Sounds like something you’d only read about from Tintin’s adventures. You can’t help but agree with Mr. Chabet when he likens the artistic process to a cargo cult’s ritual of constructing decoys based on real life. In the end, does the decoy become just as real as the original?
Rodel Tapaya and Marina Cruz introduce their paintings to a new audience through a joint exhibit that opened last week in
Rodel Tapaya, "Top Secret"
Jakarta. Looking Back allows both of them to continue exploring their different takes on the concept of memories. Rodel looks back at folk tales that have been passed down through oral tradition. He once again immortalizes them through his painted narratives. His fantastic characters and wonderful colors bring these stories to life, beautifully compressed in one frame. Continue reading →
It’s been fascinating to follow Leeroy New’s creative process. The core of his art stays consistent. He explores the tenets of Filipino Catholicism and Philippine history and integrates these with his inclination for science fiction. Continue reading →
To spark the inspiration that took the Man of La Mancha on his impossible quest, Manuel de Cervantes reportedly wrote while sitting immersed up to his knees in pails of freezing water. He believed that the cold stimulated his literary juices. Artist JanetBalbarona can definitely relate to such unorthodox creativity boosters. She herself has not been averse to donning a ball gown or two while completing her paintings. To prepare for her second solo exhibit, she has taken up residence at the artist’s studio of Blanc Compound in Mandaluyong. Two suitcases crammed with outfits and accessories, plus a horde of shoes, fill her bedroom.
Janet Balbarona, "Dear"
“Kailangan ma- feed ko ang fashion fix when I paint,” the 27-year-old Janet reveals, laughing. Tonight she wears a bright orange, a-line tube, her black bra straps exposed on otherwise bare shoulders, neon yellow sneakers on her feet. A patch of scalp lies visible beneath the close shave of her asymmetric haircut. “I love Vivienne Westwood and anything from the eighties,” she shares. But she goes by what feels right as she works. “Sometimes as I paint a particular detail, feel kodapat naka red ako. So, palit ako in the middle of painting that object. Sometimes, magkaiba pa ang shoes ko!” Unsurprisingly, Janet’s pieces resemble collages put together like a designer’s look book of clothing illustrations. As the daughter of tailors, fashion figures largely in her compositions.
An onlooker for "Staring Finger Print" and "The Second Round"
Detail, "The Second Round"
“My pieces look like pages of a scrapbook, parang unfinished, ungrounded, raw. I put in what seem to be random elements, pero may meaning lahat yon.” Beneath the insouciance, the brilliant hues, and the trendy vibe, lie deeply personal stories. In this exhibit, Peeling Peaches For The Sharpest Tongue, she fills her canvases with various depictions of herself, each one a narrative of her life in Beijing. She includes mementos gathered as she partied and painted her way around the Chinese capital.
Janet Balbarona, "Online Candy"
Janet moved to China in 2008, four years after graduating with a Fine Arts degree from Far Eastern University, and a year after a stint in Perth doing commissioned portraits for an aboriginal rights group. In Beijing, she gravitated around the club scene, hanging out with DJs and young fashion designers. Inevitably, Janet hooked up with some artists and started working on her art. The galleries in the 798 arts district, although interested in her portfolio, felt that the market would not take her seriously until she had a few one-man exhibits in her resume. Early in 2009, she headed home to make her Manila debut. Her pieces have since found their way into the collections of the local art cognoscenti.
Janet Balbarona, "Sweet Thoughtfulness"
In this current body of work, Janet weaves images of peaches into all her paintings. She throws them in, innocuous and hardly apparent, amidst her self-portraits. The peaches and peach blossoms serve as ornaments, the same way they adorn classical Chinese paintings. You can tell which of her works relive good memories. For these, Janet renders her peaches plump, pink, juicy. Otherwise, she depicts them rotten and decayed, decomposing amidst scavenging rats.
Janet’s pieces possess the frankness of Janet herself. She goes through unexpected lengths to portray the truth. Before she could bring herself to get started on this show, even as her canvases had already been stretched and primed, and her frocks lay waiting to be slipped on, she found herself flying to Hong Kong. She spent a week seeking closure to an incident that she wanted to include in this exhibit. Her paintings deliver sincerity in a stylish package.
Janet
If each painting recounts an episode, then this entire show can be viewed as a full account of Janet Balbarona’s eventful year. Through her pieces, we find ourselves vicariously reliving the life of a hip, peripatetic romantic. Manuel de Cervantes may actually have a word for her: quixotic.
Peeling Peaches For The Sharpest Tongue runs from 22 February to 12 March 2010 at Blanc Makati, 2E Crown Tower, 107 Dela Costa St., Salcedo Village, Makati. Phone (632)752-0032 or visit http://www.blanc.ph
Janet Balbarona, "Staring Finger Print"
This post is a slightly edited version of my article for Rogue Magazine Feb 2010 issue. See http://www.rogue.ph
In what must be a first in Manila, the newly-opened Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences in Salcedo Village in Makati has
launched its art program. Done hand-in-hand with Art Cabinet Philippines, the hotel makes its public areas and third floor gallery available as venues for showcasing art. Along with room service, guests can look forward to changing exhibits, even on each
