JUXTAPOSED Carlo Tanseco May 6 - May 15, 2021 VIEW THE EXHIBITION CATALOG Video Link 1 Video Link 2 “I love pattern, order, and symmetry. This exhibit is all about depicting order and then breaking that order, so that a new figure or realm emerges and opposes it. It is about uniformity and consistency yielding to something that is free, defiant, and unique. It is about ideas that challenge the system.” – Carlo Tanseco Carlo Tanseco is well-known in design circles as a maverick – a product and furniture designer frequently featured in CITEM, an architecture graduate, an entrepreneur connected with various businesses. But he kept a secret passion that took him years to have the time and opportunity for. This first solo painting exhibition by Carlo Tanseco explores pattern and order on the one hand, and liberation from patterns, and by extension, the prevailing social order or the limits we impose on ourselves, on the other. This is his first painting exhibition; something that he took years to transition in to this medium, is his personal expression of breaking free from his usual forms of expression and creativity to pursue this passion which started since childhood. Four series, all about the iconic, comprise the exhibition; showing not just the depth, but also the range of the artist in his debut. Tanseco’s take on classical mythology – the Minotaur and the labyrinth, Pandora and the box, the fall of Icarus, among others, all take on a graphic quality that not only look pleasing to the eye in their symmetry, but also wittily integrate patterns as part of the narrative. The second series is about Jose Rizal, and sections of his poem Mi Ultimo Adios, integrates the musings of the artist on our society and history, in the light of our national hero’s literary farewell. Integrating Rizal’s ophthalmology as metaphor for his insights, Tanseco expresses criticality on real patriotism. The third series are on two of his artistic heroes, whose works and visage are iconic. Vignettes from the life of Salvador Dali and Yayoi Kusama are integrated into the works, which utilize visual forms that the artists have used. The last, a lone portrait, from which the exhibition all started from, shows the ability of the artist to express in his style, the characteristics of a person. All these series by Tanseco are visually tied together by a graphic rendition of pattern and symmetry. Knowledgeable and witty, the images he produces show the hallmarks of an artist confident and in an advanced state of development. Conceptually, they are all of idealizations – myth, nation, hero, icon – which presage the trajectory of this artist, whose initial foray shows a mark of matured visual identity, ripe for a full artistic career in the visual arts. Building a collection that started out as an idea of being stuck at home and having enough time to create, Carlo S. Tanseco’s Juxtaposed Between Order & Complexity collection brought itself to life when the Covid-19 cases started rising and lockdowns from left to right were implemented. The main concept of the collection was to break patterns, violate order, and disrupt symmetry in each piece. Showcased in Art Cube Gallery from May 6-22, 2021. Irony, contrast, and duality are the main drivers of Tanseco’s inspiration. He shares that the concept has been brewing in his mind for almost a decade and that the events that unfolded in the last year has helped his concept take shape. Creating art at a very challenging time has permitted him to discover new inspiration and material. “A pandemic heightened my sense of mortality, and that is very liberating.” The artist confesses. Tanseco shares that his vision for now has only gone as far as his next collection but he shares that he is driven, excited, and motivated despite the country’s current situation and hopes that this is true for all of art in general. For Tanseco, art is like a vaccine. One needs a vaccine to protect their physical health while art is something that can be used for the healing of one’s mental health. Tanseco desires for his audience to embark on a journey each time they view his works. He is fascinated with how each person has a different perspective and that this applies to how they hear, see, and share stories. “The pandemic made this duality more evident. I am so amused at how each one's reality can be as different as night and day. It’s nothing new, but I guess in this Age of Information, it is more pronounced—fake news versus real news. So, right now, this is how I see the subject and the narrative, but it is presented in such a way that it encourages interpretation from the audience.” Tanseco shares as the interview closes. Written by Alecs Ronquillo

E-Mentoring 2021 | January 15, 2022 - February 05,2022 E-Mentoring 2021 Curated by Renato Habulan January 15, 2022 - February 05,2022 1/7 View Catalogue Video Press Release E-Mentoring 2021 The current state of our society induces a considerable amount of fear, anxiety, and concern among all groups of social classes—as it is a human, economic, and social crisis. At the height of the current COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions such as quarantine lockdowns were implemented globally. The closure of local businesses, educational institutions, cultural venues and entertainment facilities were part of an attempt to contain the spread of the virus. On the 20th of April 2020, at the peak of the quarantine lock-down, Mr. Renato Habulan created a platform for discourse called E-Mentoring, utilizing digital platforms as a tool for collective communications among various artists coming from diverse places and settings. This approach eases the mentees struggles with the present crisis. A series of discourse and lectures took place each week—discussing art history, examining the various forms, subject matter & theories of art, and delving through the critical process and practice of self-criticism. The mentoring program dissects the function and evaluates the personal and social responsibilities of art— how it confronts the unsettling perplexities of communal distress. The initiative of the e-mentoring program by Mr. Habulan emphasizes the cultural philosophy of Art Eco-System that promotes and accentuates the ethics of collaboration, the principles collectivism, and the theory of communitarianism. - Tamer Karam

Esaes, Eyag, tan Kareenan Abet Sison, Aeron Dizon, Ben Albino, Boni De Guzman, Boy Patalim, Carl Zarcilla, Carlo Talion, Domeng Cruz, Edz Calimlim, Frenk Sison, Gino Tioseco, Herwin Buccat, Jeffrey Somera, Jerry Buccat, Kinoo Padlan, Kryzelle Pasion, Mak Delos Santos, Mel Casipit, Mona Vince, Nathaniel Jovero, Noli Dela Cruz, Paulyn Albino, Pochacho Patatas, Prince Logan, Queenie Marzan, Rehas, Richard Celeste, Sarmancheta, Van Zachary Turingan, Vern Pascual, Wenn Licuanan, Yort November 4 -25, 2023 Add a Title Describe your image Add a Title Describe your image Add a Title Describe your image Add a Title Describe your image 1/12 Esaes, Eyag, tan Kareenan Whispers, Screams, and Calmness Pangasinan is a developing province with a re-establishing culture. As Pangasinenses, we are in the process of rediscovering our identity, which has been somewhat lost over the years due to the influence of the developing world. Unfortunately, culture and the arts have often been neglected by the people in the province. However, the province's artists are taking a proactive approach by immersing themselves in the environment to seek and restore the lost identity. Our goal is to establish a distinct identity that will define us and shape the future of the province. To achieve this, we are exposing ourselves to various cultures, disciplines, and principles; striving to learn and apply them to our own context. Despite the diverse range of artistic styles and interpretations, we are collectively dedicated to using this diversity as the foundation of our vision for promoting the arts in the province. In the realm of the art scene, we are still in our infancy; with our voices being mere whispers in the ears of a few. However, our passion for knowledge is fervent, and we eagerly embrace opportunities to learn and reflect our lessons through our art, sometimes challenging established norms. While this journey may seem arduous, we are fortunate to have the support and helping hands of one another to propel us forward. Progress may be gradual, and we acknowledge the risks and occasional setbacks, but we remain optimistic about the results. We are on the path to becoming a prominent presence in the art scene, eagerly anticipating the day when we will create our own waves of success, thus representing the province. We firmly believe that, as long as we remain steadfast and united, the "sons and daughters of the sun" will shine brightly, harnessing the inherent power of strength. Maksil kami ed pankakasakey mi! Frenk Sison 1/1

Pagmamahal Demosthenes Campos Faberuary 14 - M1rch 7, 2026 Add a Title Describe your image Add a Title Describe your image Add a Title Describe your image Add a Title Describe your image 1/12 When Love Is Truthful Demosthenes Campos' Pagmamahal means love in Filipino, but in everyday conversation, it also signals something becoming more expensive. The dual meaning is tangential to this exhibition, because in a time when the pace of life accelerates at such a rush that we can barely cope and the cost of living continues to rise, what does it mean to speak of love? Has it, too, become something difficult to sustain? Can we still afford to love and be loved? The artist approaches this question through material and form. Using dried paint, recycled wood strips, and clever use of colors, Campos creates his works which are renowned for their mosaic-like abstractions and assemblages. These pieces emphasize process, accumulation, and reuse, thus are not incidental. The pieces display surfaces that are layered, scored, and put together rather than with the smooth finish of traditional painting. Materiality becomes central to meaning. In the large-scale works, angular planes interlock in compact formations. A heart in Tibok, flowers in Eros and Affection, and in Philia, a single-stemmed bloom. Lines outline and scaffold their structures, suggesting provisional architectures, forms that appear built rather than painted. This structural logic perhaps underscores the artist's statement: love is work is art. Campos' love here is not sentimentalized. It is constructed, requires alignment, adjustment, and the willingness to integrate disparate elements. The visible joins and seams emphasize that unity is achieved through effort. The artist does not conceal the process, making everything legible on each surface. His Agape series, ten small works under glass, extends this inquiry at a more intimate scale. Framed and enclosed, these pieces function almost as studies or meditations. Agape, often defined as selfless or unconditional love, is translated into compact arrangements of fragments carefully composed within limits. The glass both protects and distances, suggesting preservation as well as contemplation. Here, love is examined closely, measured, contained, yet still layered. A controlled restraint is maintained by Campos throughout the exhibition. The surfaces are punctuated with strokes and angular expressions of color and texture, yet the general tone is steady. The pieces prioritize structure, rhythm, and gradual building above extravagance. By doing this, they reflect love in the modern world, where caring, devotion, and affection must be maintained in the face of conflicting demands and growing expenses. If Pagmamahal today implies escalation, Campos redirects the term toward value rather than price. His works propose that love is less about abundance and more about maintenance. It is an act of assembly, a continuous negotiation between parts. Can we still afford love? Perhaps the better question is: can we afford not to? '-Kaye O’Yek 1/1

BEYOND THE SCARS: Illuminating the light Within Daniel Dela Cruz August 17 - September 30, 2023 View Catalogue Video Press Release Adversity shapes us, but it does not have to consume us. In life’s journey, we inevitably encounter trials and pain that leave scars upon our hearts and souls. Constant reminders of our battles, these scars do not define who we are. We are more than the sum of our wounds; we are resilient beings capable of letting the light shine from within, illuminating the darkness that tries to engulf us. Instead of allowing our scars to become prisons of sorrow, we can transform them into stories of triumph. The human spirit possesses a remarkable ability to rise above pain, find meaning in suffering, and emerge stronger than ever before. Our scars can be symbols of courage and perseverance that inspire others to face their own trials. Letting the light shine from within requires self-compassion and acceptance. It means acknowledging our vulnerabilities while embracing our strengths. By doing so, we allow the light of resilience and hope to radiate outward, touching the lives of those around us. We can become beacons of positivity, offering comfort and support to others struggling in their own darkness. We can guide others on their healing journeys through our experiences and the wisdom gained from overcoming adversity. Our scars then become bridges of empathy and understanding, connecting us in our shared humanity. We are more than the scars we bear. Despite the trials and pain, we possess the power to transcend our wounds and let the light within us shine. Embracing our scars, we can foster hope and resilience within ourselves and inspire others to find their light in the midst of life's challenges. Together, we can create a world where compassion and inner strength prevail, illuminating even the darkest corners of existence. Let us embrace our scars, recognizing that they are not indicators of weakness but badges of strength. By harnessing the power of our inner light, we can transcend our wounds, inspire others, and create a world where compassion and empathy thrive. - Daniel Dela Cruz For inquires: Telephone: +632 88167758 Mobile: +63 9173296273 Email: info@artcubephilippines.com View Pricelist

PAST EXHIBITIONS 2018 Bigkis| January Darby Vincent Alcoseba, Leonard Aguinaldo, Manny Garibay, Demet Dela Cruz, Jun Impas, Jason Moss, Othoniel Neri, and Orley Ypon The Durian Collective murals are reimagining of historical events and everyday scenes, and contain nuanced visual stories of what it means to be a Filipino in specific geographies and epochs. Each mural has a premise and vividness that reflects the immersive process employed by the collective in the creation of each work. Hence, we encounter a rich rendition of the vegetable market in La Trinidad, Benguet, a shallow dive into the lives of the first Filipino settlers in Louisiana, and a satirical sweep of the rotting local political system. Linear| January Sam Penaso Sam Penaso’s opening solo exhibition for 2018, features a wide array of his works from sculpture to abstract painting. The use of geometric lines and shapes, as well as vibrantly contrasting psychedelic colors, offer a view of the artist’s creative process in his more than two decades' journey into art. Penaso’s recent works incorporate numbers and letters in Linear as he expresses his sequential development in terms of technique and use of media. As in his Stripewalker performance action and photography series, each piece is imbued with high energy, intense saturations of color and deliberate exploration of the limits of his art practice. Ugnayan sa Poblacion | January Henri Lamy. Abdoul Seck, Chufy, Alexandra Beretta & Khwezi Strydom The five international artists exhibited were selected as part of the artist residency program “Ugnayan sa Poblacion”, an initiative held by the French art center Taverne Gutenberg. Founded by French-Filipina designer Maïa d’Aboville and French painter Henri Lamy, Taverne Gutenberg is an established creative hub that has exhibited over 400 artists and has gathered over 30,000 visitors since its birth in 2015 in Lyon, France. The artists of “Ugnayan sa Poblacion” have a mission to promote and share art in order to make it accessible to Filipinos, especially street children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Points of Origin | February Aiya Balingit, Lawrence Canto, Keb Cerda, Ronson Culibrina, Dale Erispe, Johanna Helmuth, John Marin, Pow Marin, Yeo Kaa, and Yani Unsana The artists trace their roots and intimate the ideas of home and belonging through a variety of media that showcase their signature styles—from paintings and photographs to installations and mixed media works. Images of domestic spaces, self-portraits, and distinct locales animated by deep sentiments, symbolic and expressive language are brought together to give meaning to the artist’s origins and look back at what have so far transpired in their lives as artists and individuals. Fraction| February Lendl Arvin, Kiko Urquiola & Gian Miroe The divergence of the three artists reveals an intricate truth: each one has the ability to choose what makes him whole. They are responsible for connecting the chapters that narrate their lives, broken down by fractions that matter the most. The objects, people, memories, and decisions one is aware of reflect the things he values at present—which may change tomorrow, next year, in the next decade, or in another life. Or they may never change. Pre- Departure| March Julio Jose Austria New York-based Filipino artist Julio Jose Austria is no stranger to the built-up uncertainties pervading this transitory space. “Pre-Departure” reveals the artist closely looking at the structure—both at its concrete and invisible walls—that has silently become integral to his life since he left the Philippines. From the moment he first set foot in New York City in 2009 to his yearly visits back home, Austria has undergone the grueling procedures from tourist to immigrant, foreigner to resident. In this exhibit, fingerprints, barcodes, and surveillance technology embedded on layers of thick, expressionist strokes expose standards intended to secure, while questioning whom they continue to serve and restrict. While No One's Here| February Lymuel Bautista, Mccoy Lazaruz, Alexis Marga & Steven Natal As these artists are open to experimentation to art, they still value that paintings should be fully embodied and that their social function is not to be ignored as painting for painting’s sake. Assuring a bright positive direction, While No One’s Here devotes an alternative way of looking at visual arts. It is an understanding that may enrich your life, as it has indeed on these participating artists. While No One’s Here is also who they are when everyone is watching. Eavesdrop| March Adriana Cruzat, Ayra Sayat, Celine Lee, Claudine Delfin, Gab Baez, Kristinen Caguiat, Leny Leonor, Mariah Sarah Orlina, Mikhaela Marie, Shalimar Gonzaga & Suzette Tan Terminal| March Kim Gaceja, PJ Andayran, Clark Manalo, Mark Martinez, Maribel Magpoc, Raphael Carloto, Kendall Colindon & Christiann Culangan The swarm of the collective common man trying to cover various distances, taking with them on their journeys compressed in tiny spaces, various motivations, preferences and personalities. Within the confines of their commute they are one, heading toward a common direction as if tendrils of the local common thought and practice. They commiserate with their comrades the difficulties of their day to day, having to wake up early, having to take care of siblings, having no means to follow passions. Dama| March Ali Aldaba, PJ Cabanalan, Chloe Dellosa, Bam Garibay, Alee Garibay, Nina Garibay, Lui Gonzales, Tiffany Lafuente, Chad Montero, Katherine Nuñez, Aleli Ariola & Jo Tanierla No U- Turn| April Alex Tan, Amos Malayao, Bam Garibay, Emard Cañedo, Ryan Jara & Teofilo Alagao The exhibit’s title is a bold declaration that places the artworks in a problematic context. No U-Turn implies that a u-turn, even if it is to a historical moment, a personal tragedy or an artistic choice, is either impossible or not worth it. Why and how this came to be, however, is something that deserves deeper reflection. Room With a View| April Alee Garibay Can we make ourselves at home in a moment? In a person? Can a moment be a place? Is space, like time, more elastic than it seems? Alee Garibay's landscapes have, as of late, come with the contradiction of portraying interiority. In Room With a View, she uses her painting practice to make sense of the chaos and claustrophobia of modern life: depicting the views from windows of places where she lived during a particularly difficult period, while reflecting on how a place that can be so unforgiving and alienating will eventually be called "home." Boxes| April Erick Villarruz In Boxes, Erick Villaruz puts the subject matter of the house front and center. Either singular or huddled together, forming a small neighborhood, a community, the houses are conventionally built, with A-frame roofs, mullioned windows, and with some having porches. One work features a picket fence, which delineates boundaries. But the openness of the space belies any need for privacy. These are houses set against the countryside, in rural landscapes, in far-flung places, far from the madding crowd. Thinking Out Loud| May Jojo Lofranco In Thinking Out Loud, Lofranco explores the material weight of the painting medium in both fluid and coruscating strokes—thick, swirling, and energetic. The title proposes that the paintings to be read as the artist’s thoughts translated into pigment. If one extends the metaphor, the kind of thinking that Lofranco makes evident is abuzz with phenomena, decentered, and expansive. There is no square inch of the canvas that is left unactivated by the artist’s attention, which consequently makes the viewer a participant in the artist’s hectic maze of thought. Nature x Morte| May Alea Aleah Rose Angeles, John Paul Duray, Reynard Borillo, Joen Sudlon & One Nature encompasses death. The true question that braces the equation is the relationship between death and nature. To encompass, to embody, to be a part of. It is an undeniable, and perhaps clinical truth of a cyclical waking and slumber—the birth of life, and wilting death. But the process is not one consisting of a mere straight line from start to finish, but rather, an intricate web. Knives| May Lendl Arvin The painting knife is an unassuming metal blade with a wooden handle, distinguishable from other knives by the bend between the handle and the blade itself. These tools are not meant to cut like other knives. As a tool for production it serves to mix colours on a palette, and is capable of lathering a painting surface with large amounts of paint or various other mediums. In the circumstance of painting one might consider the brush as an instrument of softness, and although it is indispensable in the rendering of sharp bold strokes it should be said that the knife carries with it a greater capacity for such, as a more stoic tool. Kilem| May Ariel Cancino, Ben John Albino, Boni De Guzman, Carlo Talion, Edz z Calimlim, Frenk Sison, Jerry Buccat, Jessica Lopez, Kel Cruz, Kevin Vila, Kinoo Padlan, Mariam Tumulto, Mel Casipit, Patrick Fernandez, Peeme Legaspi, Pope Dalisay, Rachel Anne Lacaba, and Sariel Armando Ancheta Kilem (a Pangasinan word for “ngilo”) highlights both external and internal stimuli that have resulted in artists taking their brush or sculpting material as a direct response to them. While they work with different media and visual styles, their common concern is to see art as an instrument of transformation, both radical and subtle, in oneself and in society. Perhaps, they subscribe to the axiom long connected to journalism: “Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Alipato| June Chrisanto Aquino, Benjie Bisaya, Lander Capiz, Judeo Herrera, Jayme Lucas, Ace Navarro, Abe Orobia, Gyang Pascual, Romer Pavilando, Patsing Ramento, Madyleine Renee, Gao Rezaga, Crisha Sagun, Kadi Santos, Harlem Sunga, Jan Tabamo, Roniel Vitamor, David Wubneg & Jared Yokte Alipato refers to that initiating ember in producingburning coal. Marked by a few sparking pieces, shoveled together, they are on the verge of heating up matters with their own becoming. With ample wind Alipato can even raze up to serious fervor gearing up to proper intensity. Alipato explores the integration of artists imagining in a similar context, applying different approaches and creative energies on canvas. Visually these are still in their experimental, attempting rich and never-been-tried allegories yet materiality seems almost incidental be it acrylic on canvas, oil on wood or new molave wood for sculpture Deception of the Ideals| June Isko Anndrade, Don Bryann Bunag, Mel Cabriana, Lawrence Cervantes, Mark Maac & Marvin Quizon JanxJanxJan| June Georjanno Abenoja A pre-pubescent Abenoja, studying at the time in a former all-boys high school in Tarlac not-a-town-not-yet-a-city, inspired by crude street graff would make his own invented texts and esoteric handwriting styles much to the discomfort of classmates and relatives who had to voice out said discomfort into unsolicited warnings of the impending damnation of Abenoja’s soul. His illustrations of hybrid abnormalities often immediately dismissed and condemned as debil-debil within the context of misguided religiosity. Stand Still| June Mark Andy Garcia In the solo exhibition of Mark Andy Garcia, Stand Still, the landscape is paramount, without human intervention and interruption, pure in their gorgeous, vital flow. The characteristic energy of his technique--expressed through rapid, coruscating strokes—is still here, so much so that what we perceive is not merely dramatic space but the subjectivity of the artist, his way of seeing. Suburban| July Julius Redillas In Suburban, the isolation of these images, resulting in its contrast with the background, allows meaning to flourish: the subjects bore no gender, no social class, and no clue of what the portraits are about. Such draws parallel with how Grant Wood’s take on suburbia in “American Gothic” has earned the curiosity of the public for decades ---we know what’s in it, but we still cannot tell what exactly it is about. The subtlety that dictates the presence of these works, like those of Owens and Wood, directs us more to a larger and more careful evaluation of these portraits in the suburban setting: a task that catches us in our complacency of the familiar while we are trussed in the discomfort of the unknown. Metropolis Now| July Don Dalmacio, AJ Dimarucot, Beejay Esber, Doktor Karayom, Meneer Marcelo & Jason Moss This show, Metropolis Now, a show about a specific space and time, is an attempt to push a select roster of artists’ individuality in their respective efforts to mirror back the metropolis’ imprint on their psyche. In essence, it would seem to promote artistic individualism within a collective space such as the metropolis, a mini-nation in itself, although finally the show should also create a seam between these individualities to produce a commonality. (One commonality already visible at the outset is the constancy of greys in the participating artists’ entries.) Tender Trap| August Lawrence Borsoto, Mark Magistrado, Oliver Ramos, Ivan Roxas, Cj Tañedo & Ramel Villas Tender Trap brings together the talents of six remarkable Filipino artists upholding realistic painting traditions. Lawrence Borsoto, Mark Magistrado, Oliver Ramos, Ivan Roxas, CJ Tañedo and Ramel Villas join forces in exhibiting their recent works that harken to idealizations in imagery and portrayal. For these artists, lively yet soft brushstrokes make up the similar techniques found in their paintings, while respect for traditional scumbles and glazing effects simulate warm light that seem to emanate from their figures. Puno.Puno| September PJ Cabanalan & Noel Elicana In this two-man show, Puno-Puno, by Noel Elicana and Paul John Cabanalan, back-to-back winners of Metrobank Art and Design Excellence for the Oil/Acrylic on Canvas category in 2018 and 2017, the two artists merge their visions to create a powerful testimony of origin, family, home, place, self, which intersect to map out their respective journeys both as artists and individuals. While their stylistic preoccupations are different (Elicano, for instance, references the rich coloration of earth while, Cabanalan, on the other hand, prefers the celestial blues of the sky), both artists employ rich symbolism in their works as markers of autobiography and their moment in history. Planes of Existence| October Bjorn Calleja, Valerie Chua, Ernest Concepcion, Donn Dalmacio, Pakz Gonzaga, Jason Montinola, Nix Puno, Rega Rahman, Art Sanchez, Kaloy Sanchez, RA Tijing, Ciane Xavier Planes of Existence presents 12 varied perspectives from 12 different contemporary painters. Throughout the course of time, the parameters of landscape as a genre rebelled its predecessors according to what is deemed currently relevant and disposable. The inception of the genre was brought about as an essential component in uplifting the environment of the gods and figures of power up to the point of its separation: man’s decision to paint landscape as a stand-alone imagery. As history approached the twentieth century and as movements changed and questioned its predecessors, land became a malleable subject, giving more power to the ordinary man to paint as how he feels and sees it, without being constrained by structure or virtue. Pieter| November Ferdinand Treasure Riotoc It is indeed a sign of greatness for a singular painting to inspire multiple incarnations. Pieter Bruegel’s Nederlandse Spreekwoorden (Netherlandish Proverbs), in its large scale depicts about a hundred and twelve recognizable proverbs and idioms, and Pieter, Ferdinand Riotoc’s recent works, bear contemporary form. Riotoc’s layers of acrylic sheets with dripped and swirled paint may be a world apart from the pastoral genre oil-on-panel masterpiece, but the artist maximizes his medium’s character by creating vigorous pieces that may be likened to a micro lens framing Pieter’s work, or, because of the timelessness and universality of these adages, implore his audiences to ponder at these aspects of life more closely. Santuwaryo| August Edrick Daniel What exactly is a sanctuary? How does one find a certain place or space and declare it as a region of refuge, of safety? In his fifth solo show, artist Edrick Daniel tries to understand a human’s need for a retreat --- what makes one believe that there is contentment in isolation. Santuwaryo creates a sense of wonder that is passed on to the viewer through Daniel’s evocative use of images: creatures that are neither human nor mythological are set against a dismal background, thus, creating a parallel world ---perhaps a haven or otherwise. Living Death| September Dondon Jeresano & Rando Every act of creation necessitates an act of destruction, and this is what the viewer confronts in Living Death, the two-man show of Dondon Jeresano and Rando. In grappling with the concept, the two artists foreground death not as a cessation of life but a dark hovering presence, dismantling the structures of old tradition and setting fire to cherished things—an apocalyptic aftermath that lingers and shows no signs of abating. Living Death| September Dondon Jeresano & Rando Tender Trap brings together the talents of six remarkable Filipino artists upholding realistic painting traditions. Lawrence Borsoto, Mark Magistrado, Oliver Ramos, Ivan Roxas, CJ Tañedo and Ramel Villas join forces in exhibiting their recent works that harken to idealizations in imagery and portrayal. For these artists, lively yet soft brushstrokes make up the similar techniques found in their paintings, while respect for traditional scumbles and glazing effects simulate warm light that seem to emanate from their figures. Plain| October Brave Singh, Jay Hidalgo & Pablo Zingapan PLAIN just shows that the ordinary cannot be taken for granted. Hidalgo, Singh, and Zingapan articulate the need for introspection and self-awareness, but at the same time, the importance of rootedness in today’s fast paced world. PLAIN is one of a growing number of exhibits presented in Manila by the informal Ilocano Collective, a group of Ilocano contemporary artists based in Ilocos, who banded together and loosely exhibit together locally as an offshoot of Grupo Biag, a bigger group assembled by patron and museum founder Dr. Joven Cuanang. As an exhibit, it shows the curatorial rigor that the Ilocano Collective demands of its members, as much as to the sophisticated aesthetic they have evolved from within the context of artmaking in their province. And They Lived Happily Ever After| December Arnica Acantillado Happily Ever After, just like Acantilado’s earlier exhibitions, is rooted in the themes of family, the inner life of children, and individual character. As a mother herself, the children depicted in the works are the indirect portraits of her own children, assigning to them qualities that she hopes they will imbibe one day. The paintings—meticulously and lovingly rendered—may be seen then as a mother’s wish for protection and guidance for her children and that they may find their way and bearing in the world despite the looming threats around them, just like in the fairytales. Teritoryo| July Max Balatbat In this suite of works, Balatbat makes visible the lines and marks that delineate one space from another, the area where one has and doesn’t have power. In his unique collage technique that relies exclusively in pigment (giving birth to his paint-on-paint method), the artist demonstrates a kind of space-making, in which territories are not a given but must be marked, claimed, asserted, and, as represented by the triangle suggestive of roofs among other architectural elements, built permanent structures on. Para sa Bayan| July Julio Samson In his fourth solo exhibition, Julius Samson posits a question relevant to every Filipino. PARA SA BAYAN? examines one’s responsibilities in taking action that may or may not reach national proportions, probing intention and the stimuli that motivate forces, both good and evil. For the artist, it is a question of duty, doing one’s part to help improve the country’s economic standing, social progress, environment preservation, justice, education, and the employment and wealth of its citizens, and that is just for starters. His works express pinprick fragments of hope while portraying politicians’ broad abuse of power and selfish deeds, his paintings aiming not to proselytize but to find answers and perhaps make sense of the issues encountered every day in tri- and social media. Awawey| August Boni De Guzman & Jojit Solano In the Pangasinan language, Awawey means condition. For two of the most active young Pangasinense artists in contemporary Filipino art, their artworks interpret the context they find today’s humanity in, the state of affairs. Denizens| August Elmer Borlongan “Denizens,” Elmer Borlongan — true to form — has rendered the bittersweet ballads of “single figures set in an interior of a building and streets including objects related to the person’s line of work.” The overarching theme of the entire exhibition is alienation and loneliness in a foreign land, the saddest of symphonies. Overdose| September Caloy Gernale, Mervin Pimentel & Christopher Zamora Caloy Gernale, Mervin Pimentel and Christopher Zamora join together to continue their thematic penchant of fleshing out the woes of Filipinos in this 3-man exhibition. The three artists take a hit on the pervading illness afflicting the nation narcotized with fanaticism and fascism. Overdose dissects the sores that make Juan and Maria suffer and examines how the bitter pill swallowed by the populace during the 2016 election complicated their condition. Manufactured Consent| October Jett Osian In this solo exhibition, Manufactured Consent, Jett Osian continues his foray into how technology has seeped into our everyday life, rewiring our brain chemistry, turning us into virtual zombies who willingly submit our consent to forces that attempt to regulate our reality, history, and destiny. The stand-in for this technology is the television, which for the artist is a form of mind control, but it could be any screen that is generative of moving image: from tablets to cellphones to apparatuses of virtual reality. This is the “black mirror” underscored by the dystopian Netflix series. Pamilya| November Ryan Jara In Pamilya, Jara’s solo exhibition, the artist chose to celebrate the family members (that also extend to friends) to whom he has offered to sacrifice part of his life. The show, itself, is a family portrait, featuring Jara’s parents, siblings, wife and child, and the tight knit of friends who saw him during this dark period of his life. As an acknowledgment of his own past predicament, the show highlights the self-portrait, “Downtime,” that chronicles the emotional and psychological toll that Jara went through for not being able to practice his craft. Memoirs| September Orley Ypon In his fifth solo exhibition, Memoirs, Orley Ypon creates a visual autobiography of the places he has visited—from the mountainous terrain of Isabela to the frenetic urbanscape of New York City—resulting in a suite of works that are reflective of both the artist’s personal and creative journey. In his paintings, the artist is everywhere present: in the lush selection of palette, in the high degree of realism, in the impasto that visibly reveals the hand of the artist. Mission and Vision| October Roy Rosatase In this solo exhibition, Mission Vision, Roy Rosatase confronts the tyranny of the everyday, the various activities we cram our schedules with as we navigate the urban fabric. This urban fabric is familiar to those who have called the Philippines home—from pawnshops to fast food chains to the parts of the city that are constantly being torn down and rebuilt. In this suite of meticulously rendered photorealistic paintings, daylight appears harsh and unrelenting, throwing long, indelible shadows on streets and pavements. Somewhere Else| November Don Bryan Bunag Somewhere Else situates us near the shore of the wide open sea, with the sky taking up the upper half of the picture plane. Using diaphanous swirls and shading, he conjures a secondary picture plane over the main image. The secondary picture, hazy and incomplete, is of a multitude of peoples seemingly preoccupied with their own daily lives, or is it just our projection? Pursuit of Happiness| December Year- End Show Have artists forgotten to be happy Perhaps Pursuit of Happiness are giving us a whole different paradigm of what happiness means to the people today. Hopefully we are done with the notions of prosperity as indulgent excess, and happiness is social justice, equal access, austere as it may be during these times, but nonetheless hoping for an humanist, compassionate distribution of wealth. Perhaps it is about the fruits of merits, and the hope that they mean something, instead of privilege that has been inherited, or taken forcibly. Or can it be that we are now made of less saccharine stuff? So therefore our happiness is sober but true; quiet but substantial; simple yet nourishing; accomplished yet communal?

WILD | May 21, 2022 - June 11, 2022 WILD MARS BUGAOAN May 21, 2022 - June 11, 2022 1/7 View Catalogue Video Press Release On Growing, Time, and Tight Spaces Left unchecked, any living organism has the tendency to continue growing. Untamed, the possibilities are endless. Coming out of an event that forced humankind to halt many activities considered as essential to daily existence, many had to limit movement and travel. Yet that was no condition for growth to stop. Some saw themselves becoming rooted to their abodes: either working or studying from home, or becoming more engaged parents; some branched out into previously unexplored territories: like finally starting hobbies long dreamt of, or opening online stores selling homemade bread and pastries. Beginning the pandemic stranded at a residency in Negros, Mars Bugaoan made a choice to continue an exhibition against the odds. It was the expected product of the residency anyway. After ten months in provincial lockdown, he was able to stage an exhibition in Manila that were reflections of his city dwelling that he had been away from for so long. It did include references to Negros. A few months down the line was another exhibition which allowed him to really think back and synthesize the time he had spent in Negros - an environment both desired yet not for daily consumption. Most recently is an experimental installation that is practically an archaeological record, a visual documentation of the artist’s efforts in recent years.* After what can be seen as an entire cycle of artmaking and exhibiting from 2020 to 2022, Bugaoan had a realization: it started from the beginning. Well, that doesn’t sound much but most people assume that choices taken later in life just happen out of serendipity. The time alone allowed him a clarity to see a path that goes all the way back to his birth — or even before that — of how he is borne of the choices of his ancestors or even the events of the Big Bang. Everything starts from the beginning, as it's a very good place to start, but many times we don’t realize that we’ve already begun - that we have been ready for the world despite our doubts and hesitation. Wildly growing - feeling the moment, feeling the time - he made various life choices that all somehow led to where he is right now. With what can be seen as introspective, he put together an exhibition that is both intensely personal, but also viewed from an external perspective. It is said that memory is sometimes kept in sensorial containments, like a particular odor that reminds you of elementary school lunches, or a certain musical genre that brings back the old days. Sky blue, orange, yellow, green, pink - each color is akin to a specific energy from that period in time. Furthering his implasto series of works - a clever take on the plastic quality of paint by using plastic as if it were actual thick daubs - each has a dominant color that harks back to a certain point in the artist’s life. Speaking of containers and memories, there is one work that is of particular interest: a portrait of the artist’s father made out of the blister packs from medication he has been taking daily since 2017. Piece by piece, it is a visual metaphor of everyday survival and collective coping. Tying the exhibition together is an installation that is a stark reminder of the unseen forces that shape us - a proof of life. Steel scaffolding is appropriated, merged with plastic. The strips — draped, arranged, composed and built up around the metal form, adding intuitive paths via node-like knotting — turning them into a visual metaphor of an organism’s dominion over the built environment. Living in unprecedented and interesting times - we discovered ourselves, we got to know ourselves better, we became more of who we are. Having been forced into limited spaces, we emerged from the wild growth where in truth, many of us grew inwards. — — — — — — — — *Notes: In February 2020, the artist started his residency at The Abungalow Project In Talisay, Negros Occidental. After lockdown was declared in March 2020, it took ten months before restrictions were eased enough for travel. Prior to his return, he held a solo exhibition at Kapitana Gallery in Talisay in April 2020. Planned as a physical show, the decision to turn it into an online exhibition makes it perhaps the very first of the pandemic’s online shows. Back in Manila, he then had solo exhibitions in February 2021 at Artinformal Makati, and July 2021 at Vinyl on Vinyl Gallery - with both exhibitions using elements and content from his Lockdown Period. The rest of the year was leading up to his installation for the Thirteen Artists Award 2021 Exhibition at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, which after many safety postponements, opened in March 2022. -Koki Lxx still in the time of Covid, 2022 Mars Bugaoan (b.1988) He took up a degree in Fine Arts with a major in Advertising from the University of Santo Tomas and graduated with cum laude honors. Since 2016, his works have been highly recognised in various galleries in the metro and he was shortlisted for the Ateneo Art Awards in 2018 and 2021. In 2021, he was one of the recipients of the 13 Artists Award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines. His works tell stories of impermanence, survival, and of vulnerability alongside power by experimenting, manipulating, and transforming discarded everyday objects that he finds while creating his pieces. Bugaoan participated in the Bellas Artes Projects: Namamahay Flash Residency in Bataan. He was also a participant in the Bungalow Residency Project in Negros Occidental, as well as the Pasaload Online Residency by Load Na Dito Projects.

FAIRS Art Fair Philippines 2026 Inhabitants 6 - 8 February 2025 Circuit Corporate Center, Makati City, Philippines Art Taipei 2025 Figures of Speech: Contemporary Art in the Philippines 24 - 27 Oct 2025 Taipei World Trade Center, Taiwan Art Fair Philippines 2025 Flocking Animals 21 - 23 February 2025 Ayala Triangle, Makati CIty, Philippines Art Fair Philippines 2025 Dambana 21 - 23 February 2025 Ayala Triangle, Makati CIty, Philippines Art Fair Philippines 2024 Sinuous Architecture and Evocative Forms, Ramon Orlina 16 - 18 February 2024 The Link Carpark, Philippines Art Fair Philippines 2023 Re-Existence , Renato Habulan & Guerrero H abulan 1 7 - 19 February 2023 The Link Carpark, Philippines Art Fair Philippines 2022 Duality, Arnica Acantilado & Dondon Jeresano March 23 - April 01 2022 Art Cube Gallery, Philippines Art Fair Philippines 2021 Juxtaposed, Carlo Tanseco 5 - 15 May 2021 Art Cube Gallery, Philippines Art Fair Philippines 2020 Paradoxlkalye, Guerrero Habulan 23-25 February 2020 The Link Carpark, Philippines Art Central 2019 Daniel Dela Cruz, Plet Bolipata & Elmer Borlongan 27-31 March 2019 Central Harbourfront, Hong Kong Art Fair Philippines 2019 Finding the Light, Daniel Dela Cruz 22-24 February 2019 The Link Carpark, Philippines Art Central 2018 Jose Legaspi, Joven Mansit, Guerrero Habulan & Keb Cerda 27 March - 01 April 2018 Central Harbourfront, Hong Kong Art Fair Philippines 2018 Imaginarium, Daniel Dela Cruz 1-4 March 2018 The Link Carpark, Philippines

REVISIONING THE BREAKOUT AFTER DESPONDENCY JAYSON CORTEZ December 14, 2021 - January 08, 2022 View Catalogue Video Press Release Fecundity After Adversity The pandemic—as still a pressing reality in the world—has expectedly prompted artists to explore their own experiences in relation to it. For some, their works are a mirror of what has become the new normal, in which face masks are ubiquitous, the sacrifice of the frontliners is acknowledged, and the general pall of exhaustion looms over cities that have to grind to a screeching halt. For others, their interest lies in essaying their internal emotional, psychological, and spiritual struggles, often times through rich symbolism giving concrete evidence to what is ineffable. For Jayson Cortez, now that we are nearing the second year of the lockdown and things are showing signs of promising improvement, his attitude is one of expectant hope, exemplified in his solo exhibition, Revisioning the Breakout after Despondency. The artist uses the language of economics to highlight how world is emerging from the global scourge, ready as it is to embrace the possibility of a kinder future. For him, now is the time to change (“revise”) our outlook given how we have moved upward from the threshold of resistance (“breakout”), from a low-spirited state (“despondency”). As one of the early pioneers of the style of incorporating flowers onto the heads of his figures— underscored by his hyperrealist figurative style—Cortez is already endowed with the metaphorical gift of bringing into surface the interior experience of man. What have provided solace to many are art and religion, represented in the works by the quintessential Renaissance painting Mona Lisa and a sculpture of the Salvador Mundi, respectively. Swaddled with the thick, astonishing blooms of roses, the figures evoke growth, flourishing, and even transformation, as suggested by butterfly wings. A sense of readiness (or “openness” as one title provides) for a post-pandemic world imbues the works—a longing for things turning around. This optimism resides in the work, “Victory,” which presents a figure breaking out from a frame, his mouth open in a clarifying scream. A self-portrait, the painting is all about exhilaration, freedom, and upward trend, which is manifested by the arrow as seen in charts and infographics. In the lower right corner of the painting is a request conveying vulnerability: “Please Do Not Touch the Heartwork.” It is the artist’s way of saying that all meaningful change transpires from within and can only blossom in its own accord, in its own good time. -Carlomar Arcangel Daoana Jayson Cortez b. 1986 is a post war & contemporary painter in the Philippines. He holds a Degree in Fine Arts with a major in Advertising from the Bulacan State University. His works have been highly recognized not only in the country's art industry but also in Singapore and London. Cortez has been a finalist in major competitions in Manila such as Shell Student Art Contemporary (2009), Metrobank Art Competition (2010) and Tanaw Banko Sentral Art Competition (2011). He has also been awarded with the Gintong Kabataan Award in 2015 and Jurors choice, Luzon Art Award of Philip Moris Phillipine Art Award. His work is a combination of realism and fantasy. This medium gives him freedom to express himself and explore facets of reality. For the upcoming exhibit, Cortez’ Inspiration revolves around the ongoing pandemic, depression, and the psychological effects of what is happening around the world. He expects his viewers to feel inspired and to think positively despite what is happening around them.

EASTERN FABLES TIFFANY LAFUENTE November 13 - December 04, 2021 View Catalogue Video Foibles of the Orient Painting is considered as a medium of high seriousness, a way of asking difficult questions about oneself and the world. It is seldom do we encounter works that use humor as a vehicle of story- telling, exposing people’s pretensions, mischiefs, and vulnerabilities. In the country, only a handful of artists delve into such a territory. Tiffany Lafuente, in show after show, proves that she’s one of the most elegant and sharpest among them, chronicling the absurdities of life, particularly those present in institutions—religion, art world, polite society—on which we blindly invest our belief. For her exhibition, Eastern Fables, Lafuente this time explores the comedy of manners in a microcosm of Chinese society, in which superstition dictates the rituals and habits of people and inanimate objects are perceived to be endowed with auspicious, magical powers. Here, her main characters typify the gullible, the eccentric, the easily scared, all caught up in their skirmishes with the supernatural world come alive. What if the “lucky cat” suddenly springs to life and the feng shui master is a two-headed madam ready to dispense advice? The short answer: hilarity ensues. Grown men leap out of fright, a dog growls, even the figure in a portrait can’t hide his shock. This is the world, all swaddled up in fine Chinoiserie, that is about to unravel, if it has not yet come loose. Nothing makes sense, nor it needs to be: the works that Lafuente has created, smeared with her trademark scatological pigment, are all about making visible our superficial pursuits, our incessant and almost comical search for meaning and validation, our helplessness despite material wealth. Lafuente’s way of approaching these themes is through the comic rigmarole that constitutes the narrative of her works. Her characters are caught up in a skit, responding to each other’s taunts and misdemeanors. Occasionally, they drift towards the surreal, and it’s hard not to think of them as representations of our hidden thoughts and desires, those we try hard to suppress, but would emerge as daytime fantasies or Freudian slips. Lafuente is not afraid to make them evident in paint. Eastern Fables wonderfully adds to the artist’s body of work that pokes fun at our artificially built structures that both act as a safety net as well as a trap. In looking intensely into traditions and deeply held beliefs, Lafuente brings to light aspects of human experience and interaction that are largely shaped by social expectations and are not expressive of our deepest longings. These paintings ask us to shrug off our inhibitions and make full use of our freedoms, gifting us with a couple of laughs along the way. -Carlomar Arcangel Daoana Tiffany Lafuente Tiffany Lafuente is a fine arts major in Painting at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City. She has exhibited her works in different galleries in the Metro. Tiffany has been known for her unconventional and provocative works with a casual plop of colors and lines. For the upcoming exhibit, she has put humor in telling the story of the Chinese belief with the twist of reality and real life experiences.

LIMANG DAANG TAON Archie Oclos May 29 - June 19, 2021 View Catalogue Video Link Limang Daang Taon Mula sa pagtungo, pamamalagi, at pagsulong ni Oclos, ang may-akda’y nagpapatuloy. Makalipas ang pagbabaybay sa pagitan ng magkakasalungat na puwersa ng buhay ay ang pagbubunyag ng mga nasilayan at ng mga kinahinatnan. Maaaring naisiwalat na ng paulit-ulit ng may-akda ang kaniyang panig ng katotohanan. Ngunit, ano nga ba ang ating nakamit sa bawat pagtitig natin? Ang pagdating. Ang namumukod-tangi. Ang mga pasanin. Ang hangganan. Ang paghuhusga. Ang mga bulong ng mga anghel. Ang nagkakasala. Ang mga salitang mapanaksak. Panalangin. Naghahandog ang may-akda ng kaniyang siyam na dasal patungkol sa ating danas sa loob ng Limang Daang Taon. Naghahamon ng mga tanong. Nagtatalaga ng kasalungat ng mga bawat pagkakataon. Naglalatag ng kaniyang desisyon. Nagsusumamo na hanapin ang sarili nating taimtim sa gitna ng ating mga panalangin. Nananalig sa kasarinlan ng ating mga diwa at isip. “Walang inaatake dito.” Nagmamatyag, nanunuri, at naninindigan sa tungkulin ng isang artista ng bayan, ang wari ng may-akda ay magpamalas ng panig ng katotohanan. Nagpapaalala kung saan tayo naiwan o iniwanan at kung saan ang pupuntahan o mapupuntahan. Tao ang pinapanigan. Paniniwala. Sa pagtatakda ng nais na maisalaysay ng may-akda, makakamit mo ang bahagi ng isang mulat na pagpapasya. Mayroon kang matatamo na paniguradong hindi lamang kaibhan mula sa wangis ng isang katha. At ang iiwanan na tanong sa iyo, ano ang panig ng kuwento ang ipamamahagi mo? Dahil ang mga makukuha mo ay isang paniniwalang binago, buhay na nagbago, at mga namamatay habambuhay na pagkatao. Nabuo ba nila tayo? Buo na ang katha. Buo ang may-akda. Buo ang Limang Daang Taon na tayo ay pinaniwala. Nawa’y maibahagi at maikalat mo ang banal na salita. Pagbabasbas. Five Hundred Years From Oclos’ elegy of going, staying, and moving, the maker is still found unwavering. After the traverse in between opposing forces of life, comes a chapter of his own revelation and a moment of “then there was light”. What is shown is the maker’s meditation of his repeated scars and the relentless pursuit to the side of truth. Do we stare and muse enough to see beyond his markings? Ang pagdating (The Arrival). Ang namumukod—tangi (The One and Only). Ang mga pasanin (The Burdens). Ang hangganan (The Limits). Ang paghuhusga (The Judgement). Ang mga bulong ng mga anghel (The Whisper of Angels). Ang nagkakasala (The Sinner). Ang mga salitang mapanaksak (The Stabbing Words). The prayer The offering of Oclos’ are his nine prayers of our mass experience throughout Limang Daang Taon (Five Hundred Years) and counting. Probing. Provoking. Pleading. Stating ironies bereft of any agency. Laying reason for every decision. Asking us to entrench ourselves into the solemnity of our own entreaties. Ultimately gripping to the liberation in the name of the body, mind, and spirit. “Walang inaatake dito (No one is being attacked here).” As a maker, Oclos’ embraces the duty of unravelling every cord and every veil. Reminding us of our shrouded past that got us abandoned and left behind, and what delivered us from our own paradise. His truth may always be the people. The creed. And in this verse, it is not about Oclos’ following to gain and not a belief for someone to obtain, but a maker’s judgement calling. It is not when we “let make man in our image, after our likeness”. It may be letting every human make their own image, in the likeness of their own nature, in the likeness of their own story, in the likeness of whatever it is that makes sense in their own reality. You, the wholly good, wholly mighty one, wholly immortal one, did you have mercy on us and the whole world? Did you have mercy on every faith restrained, on every native life changed, on every daily death instead of just our daily bread? Go into all the world and preach to every creature. Thanks be to You. The blessing. Archie Oclos Archie Oclos creates pieces that are physically and socially larger than life. His works can depict a quiet kinetic, where the human landscape is disquieted, and seeming to speak, but cannot or will not. His propensity to paint the silenced comes from a long-known understanding of universal powers at play: the state, the people, the self, and the soul. In this exhibition, Oclos composes his works of events, stories and sorrows five hundred years since the arrival, conquest and distribution of Christianity in the Philippines, which made the country as it is today. Inspired by surviving the situations of today made painting his way of prayer and life. Many of his notable works reside in these urban spaces, in buildings such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the same institution that lauded him a Thirteen Artist Awardee in 2018; additionally, he is also one of the Winners in the Ateneo Art Awards in 2019. He graduated from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor in Fine Arts, Major in Painting degree. He has currently mounted countless solo shows and has been a part of numerous group shows with both emerging and established talents nationwide.

Where is Home? Proceso Gelladuga January 15, 2022 - February 05,2022 View Catalogue Video SOMETHING MORE THAN JOURNEY By Kaye O’Yek As Filipinos seek greener pastures and opportunities abroad to provide for their families, a Negros Occidental-born contemporary artist living and working overseas longs for his native land. In his recent exhibition, Where is Home?, Proceso Gelladuga II dissects the transportability of sanctuary and living in transience. Movement and fluidity embody majority of Gelladuga’s works, as seen from his first exhibition in Boston Gallery, Flight of the Swans, in 2010, and continued with his Maleta series and Children of War dance performance in 2017. A disciple of dance since childhood, he is immersed in contemporary dance performance and choreography, which led to his career as a Hong Kong Disneyland cast member and a contemporary dance teacher, and into a fruitful personal and professional partnership with his wife and collaborator Nina. A self-taught artist, he was spurred into painting seriously in 2008 under the tutelage of Renato Habulan, though he has had decades of experience in drawing portraits and designing costumes for productions. Gelladuga’s experiences as an overseas Filipino worker informs his visual arts practice immensely. Moreso during the Coronavirus pandemic, the artist became a living, breathing definition of Filipino flexibility, as he had to add Zoom lessons to supplement his income during park closures. This also afforded him the time and quiet space to ruminate deeply about the global disaster and its effect on children caught in crisis, as head of a migrant family living abroad with a young daughter, and as a painter whose works anchor themselves on faithful renditions of physicality and agility in motion. With pieces resembling choreographies transferred into canvas, Gelladuga presents new paintings in Where is Home? with figures first imagined in Crossing Borders, a dance video choreographed and directed by the artist and his wife with the help of their dancer and videographer friends, shot and documented in 2019. Shifting bodies frozen as references make up most of the compositions that portray survival, strength, intimacy, grace and hope. Added to this are inspiration from the poignant words by British Somalian poet, Warsan Shire about mutable shelter brought about by adversity, Home, which reads in part: and no one would leave home unless home chased you to the shore unless home told you to quicken your legs leave your clothes behind crawl through the desert wade through the oceans drown save be hunger beg forget pride your survival is more important Survival is indeed of utmost importance, as man sees himself in a battle against the elements, in this case, the turbulent waters of the sea, and dark, looming clouds overhead. Dreamers Float portrays three figures in bright yellow life vests, perhaps psyching themselves for sustained endurance while waiting for rescue, refusing to be burdened by their traumatic pasts. Father and Child shows a man cradling his daughter protectively, going against the more commonly pictured mother and child motif popular throughout art history yet still providing notions of comfort and nurturance. My Strength and My Refuge, two pieces with seemingly similar compositions, show where an individual draws courage and fortitude in times of great hardship– with personal power buttressed by the support of intimate relationships and inspiration not only for the self to survive, but sustain a life of dignity with loved ones. Adrift references Gelladuga’s past Maleta series, with a suitcase resembling the weather-beaten safety colors of SOLAS-regulated liferafts pushed into shore by waves. Graphite on paper works continue Gelladuga’s depiction of water-drenched bodies in Refuge 1 and 2 immortalizing poses that underscore an end to the struggle, life guaranteed continued existence. Gelladuga’s Where is Home? asks viewers directly where they themselves retreat for sanctuary, and shows that home does not instantly translate to a roof over one’s head. Shelter is where one finds rest and subsistence, preferably in the company of family and friends, but home is often where, as they say, one’s heart is, regardless of country or international borders that welcomes refugees of all races. The artist’s treatment of water as means of washing away the dust and sweat smelling of the earth of one’s homeland, transporter of bodies and futures to foreign shores, and holder of consciousness and aspirations as one manages to remain afloat is carried by waves, splashes, and drips, with masterful brushstrokes drenching his pieces in longing and promise in equal measure.