Maya Munoz, "Untitled V"
Maya Muñoz and Kiko Escora enjoy a reputation for consistent work. Their two-person exhibit, Short Frictions, now on its second week at Manila Contemporary, does nothing to dispel this notion. You could even say that Sidd Perez, the exhibit’s curator, succeeds in prodding them slightly from their norm. This has resulted in pieces that do them both credit, Maya more so than Kiko, in my opinion. Continue reading
I don’t usually post events like these, but when the proceeds go to a worthy cause, I feel I should help spread the word.
Now on its third year, MaARTe has been envisioned by the Museum Foundation of the Philippines as a bazaar to showcase one-of-a-kind artisanal items that celebrate Filipino craftsmanship. It opened yesterday, October 21, and will run until Sunday, October 23 at SLab. MAARTE complements Art Flood, the Silverlens group’s annual charity art sale. This year, Art Flood’s beneficiary is the Sagip Buhay Foundation. Continue reading
Roberto Chabet, "Redon Window/ Black Room, White Window", 1963
Of all the exhibits in the yearlong survey of Roberto Chabet’s art, I enjoyed this one the most. It has been the only one—so far—that has allowed us a glimpse into Mr. Chabet’s personal relationships, a hint of the persona behind the formidable reputation. While his role as a mentor has been frequently emphasized, this show has given us a chance to appreciate his interactions with his peers, an earlier phase in his artistic practice. Continue reading
Rodel Tapaya, "Kagat Daliri", detail
Rodel Tapaya mounts an exhibit of paintings in a style he knows best, what art writer Professor Alice Guillermo labels in her essay, The Hauntings of Rodel Tapaya, as cultural surrealism. He continues to mine our Filipino folk traditions for narratives that he can translate onto his canvases. This time, he casts his eye on superstitious beliefs, adages passed down from those wives of yore, practices that still come alive in parts of the country untouched by urban jadedness. Continue reading
Mark Justiniani, "Impasse"
As he prepared for this exhibit, Mark Justiniani would wake up excited every morning. “A little nervous too”, he added, “as if I were a young artist just doing his first show!” Five notebooks and his iPad had been filled with scribbles in black ink. The sketches served as studies and ruminations, his preparations for the series of works now making their debut at Finale Art Gallery. Continue reading
Tatong Recheta Torres, "Fandom Vulgaris", detail
Three confident artists make for three fearless exhibits. These three don’t shy away from taking their art to new directions. Whether or not their explorations work, the attempts in themselves make their shows worth visiting. Continue reading
As the wife of Jose John Santos III, art collectors consider her as half of one of Philippine art’s super couples. But at home in Pasig, where she works alongside her husband out of their third floor studio, Pamela Yan Santos, 37, comes across as, first and foremost, mother to her eight-year-old son, Juno. Her art, multi-layered acrylic paintings and serigraphs on canvas, have frequently reflected her experiences as a parent of a child with special needs. “I don’t think I can get out of that, it’s part of my system”, she says with a wry smile. Continue reading
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
Street art at the Cours Julien enclave, Marseilles
Viewing modern and contemporary art would not top a tourist’s to-do list for a trip to the south of France. The breathtaking natural beauty of Marseilles’ jagged coastline, and the earthy charm of its city streets provide enough sustenance for one’s senses. However, Marseilles has been named the European City of Culture for 2013, so I thought I’d attempt to scope out its visual arts scene as I explored its sights. Continue reading
Lyra Garcellano, "Aria"
After disappearing for a year, spending six months of 2010 in an Asian Cultural Council grant in New York, Lyra Garcellano has come back with wonderful new work. In Epistolary, her solo exhibit at Finale Art File, Lyra has treated us to five paintings she describes as imprints. Faint figures whisper from her canvases, barely discernible through her loose pastel strokes. All of women, their floral frocks blur into the background, creating sheer, almost abstract, patterns. Her paintings have always stood out for their delicacy and softness, and evoke a sense of romantic melancholia. This set keeps to that sensibility, progressing naturally from her previous pieces. To me, they seem to project a more confident Lyra.