Good Morning

Jonathan Joven captures the unbreakable spirit of the Filipino working class through a deeply personal lens in Good Morning, his exhibition of recent works. Inspired by his own father, Tay Jun’s tireless hustle across countless jobs—from porter to stevedore to pedicab driver, street food vendor, electrician, carpenter, and all-around handyman—Joven creates an homage to the everyday heroes of Manila, those who labor quietly, often unseen, in the gritty heart of the city. Here, the humble Good Morning towel stained with various shades of sweat and grime becomes a vibrant emblem of resilience, sacrifice, and survival.

Joven’s father, like many in Tondo, Manila, wore this towel day after day as he took on whatever work he could find to support his family. A familiar sight among workers, the Good Morning towel is not just a piece of cloth; it’s a witness to the blood, sweat, and tears that fuel the city’s pulse. Each painted towel in Joven’s exhibit serves as a vivid reminder of these sacrifices, painted in shades of crimson to champion the enduring strength and courage of the Filipino worker. The red in his pieces doesn’t merely echo the text printed on it, it speaks to the lifeblood of the common laborer, echoing a gritty determination woven into the city’s landscape.

The paintings go beyond just his father’s story, representing countless men and women who keep the locality moving. Joven also includes his acrylic, ink, spray paint, and oil on repurposed tracing paper on canvas paintings, Usad, to tell a story of transition and progress, staging a face-off between a traditional calesa and the more modern jeepney with a sprayed-on ghost of a bicycle refereeing in between. This collision of the old and new captures the city’s continual evolution, as traditions are both preserved and challenged by the forces of modernization.

Sigasig, one of the centerpiece works, captures the frenzied energy of Divisoria, the famous marketplace where goods, people, and dreams all collide. Nearby is Tatag, a pedicab transformed with a makeshift tarp. Cast-off advertising is repurposed as shelter, a symbol of ingenuity in the face of scarcity. Joven’s depiction of such adaptations shows the street smarts required to survive everyday life with dignity and grace, and where the city’s workers navigate an ever-shifting economy with creativity and resolve.

Through Good Morning, Joven holds up a mirror to the city, honoring those hard workers who keep it alive, fueled by the strength of individuals like his father and the collective spirit of countless others. It’s a stirring, tactile tribute to resilience and a reminder that the heart of a place beats in the hands of its people.