The Expansive Window | The Expansive Window Albert Sevilla, Alee Garibay, Amy Aragon, Anthony Palomo, Arley Carig, Azor Pazcoguin, Bam Garibay, Cedrick Dela Paz, Chad Montero, Delmo, Demosthenes Campos, Doktor Karayom, Don Bryan Bunag, Eri Abe, Ferdie Montemayor, Ian Inoy, Ikang Gonzales, Isko Andrade, Japs Antido, Jason Delgado, Jay Ticar, Jayme Lucas, Jep Dizon, Jett Osian, Jim Orencio, Jirah Labanza, Joen Sudlon, Joey Cobcobo, Jojo Austria, Joven Mansit, Jowee Aguinaldo, Joy Mallari, Julianne Ng, Julius Redillas, Katrina Cuenca, Kim Gaceja, Kim Hamilton, Lui Gonzales, Lui Manaig, Lymuel Bautista, Maribel Magpoc, Mark Andy Garcia, Mark Justinani, Mark Laza, Martin Honasan, Marvin Quizon, Max Balatbat, Narra Marin, Nica Acantilado, Nina Garibay, Noel Elicana, Norlie Meimban, Orley Ypon, Otto Neri, Paolo Icasas, PJ Cabanalan, Rafael La Madrid, Raffy T. Napay, RC Caringal, Renato Habulan, Renz Baluyot, Rey Labarento, Reynold Dela Cruz, Ryan Jara 1/28 View Catalogue Video Press Release The Expansive Window As the year draws to a close, Art Cube presents a cherished annual tradition: the year-end exhibition, this time titled, The Expansive Window. This showcase gathers the creative brilliance of emerging, mid-career, and established artists, united by their devotion to painting—the country’s most enduring and dominant artistic medium. Occupying all spaces of the gallery, The Expansive Window highlights the rich and multifaceted tradition of painting in the Philippines. For centuries, painting has been a vessel of expression, evolving with the times while retaining its vital connection to history. This exhibition offers a glimpse into this dynamic continuum, presenting a spectrum of stylistic approaches that span Pop Surrealism, Realism, and Abstraction. Each work testifies to the versatility and vitality of painting as an art form. The thematic concerns of the exhibition are equally diverse. Visitors may encounter genre themes such as still life, landscape, and portraiture, alongside deeply personal autobiographical reflections and poignant engagements with pressing social issues. This broad thematic range mirrors the pluralistic nature of contemporary Philippine art, where tradition and innovation coexist in harmony. The title, The Expansive Window, encapsulates the exhibition’s essence. Like a window offering a breathtaking view, this show provides an opportunity to observe the current state of Philippine contemporary art while imagining its future trajectories and possibilities. It serves as a celebration of the artistic vision that shapes and redefines our understanding of the world. Beyond its role as an artistic showcase, this year-end exhibition represents a heartfelt expression of gratitude. To the artists who have entrusted us with their works, to the collectors who have nurtured the art, and to the audience who has continued to engage and support us through the years—Art Cube extends its deepest thanks. Their unwavering belief in the power of art continues to inspire the exploration of new vistas of creativity and expression. -Carlomar Arcangel Daoana

Praxis Lucis Alee Garibay & Delmo November 8 - 29, 2025 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 LUMINOSITY AS IT IS Light, for painters Alee Garibay and Michael Delmo, is the essence of painting. Through light, the world comes into being as lines, colors, and shapes find their form. The art of painting rests on a simple truth: we see and paint what we see because there is light. Yet before the canvas, in quiet dialogue with their practice, they come to understand that painting is not only a way of looking at the world but also a turning inward, a way of meeting the self with greater clarity. Light then becomes a mirror, reflecting and unveiling what moves within even as it reveals what lies beyond the self. From this, both artists recognize painting as a vital part of their lives. It is through this shared understanding that Praxis Lucis, Latin for “light practice” or “practice in light,” emerges. Born from their journey into painting as a way of seeing and being, this collection becomes a meditation on how light shapes both vision and reality. Within its glow, they wander and wonder, as painting becomes a way of giving light to the quiet, unseen mysteries of life. For Garibay, who recently gave birth to her third child, the studio becomes less a place for pronouncement and more a space for renewal. She does not aim to declare her ideas through her image-making; rather, she paints as a way of reclaiming and reimagining life amid new configurations, grounding her practice in painting as a means of understanding the nature of shifting realities. Her time in the studio is not only an exercise in balancing her many responsibilities, but also her introspective engagement with certain essentials. This is evident in her exploration of narrative and her ability to encapsulate the depth of meaning through singular subjects. Having long gravitated toward religious imagery, Garibay continues to explore the many faces of spirit, at times evoking the presence of the Divine Mother or the Divine Feminine. Yet in this exhibition, her images take a step back, giving way to her materials and her painting process. Through her signature use of translucent coatings, she creates layered images that haunt the eyes and exude an ephemeral quality. Her glazing turns color into a meditation on light, how it is absorbed or at times, softened. In this play of transparencies, she captures the subtle consistencies of luminosity, revealing the delicate thresholds between seeing and sensing. The resulting surfaces shimmer between presence and disappearance, suggesting the fluidity of forms through time. Thus, the act of painting becomes both timeless and boundless, a practice that conjures illusion while affirming an objective reality beyond the surface. Her compositions, organic and effortless, unfold through gestural movements and scribbled graphemes – traces of thought and touch that lend her forms their silent solidity. As a father of three, Delmo draws inspiration from his sons. Borrowing the sword, the staff and the bag as recurring motifs, objects that hold many layers of meaning, his works capture the spirit of adventure and a heroic sense of journey. His imagery, long rooted in the tension between the spiritual and the primal, continues to explore the delicate balance that leads toward harmony. He locates identity in the space between these opposing forces, where the rawness of instinct meets the encompassing search for the divine, giving form to the ever-evolving shape of humanness. His works also point toward a sense of determination, allowing meaning to emerge within his compositions through the careful arrangement of elements. In his practice, he shares that method is his way of understanding things deeply, and he shares this in his works through the puzzle of decoding meaningfulness in a childlike manner. Beyond his many identities as a father, son, and husband, he is also an artist, a word that carries the weight of significance. For him, art exists within time and artists occupy a distinct role in it. In his works, we see figures of men with closed eyes, suggesting an inward vision and contemplation that is guided by purpose. For Praxis Lucis, both Garibay and Delmo do not seek to engage in the endless redefining of the contemporary. Instead, they root themselves in the humble rhythms of family life, a shared work that is both basic, foundational and sacred. It is within this communal space that they build and sustain relationships, guided by the core of their values, their sense of responsibility, and the daily practice of tending to the greatest project they share that is their home. A household, maintained through care and attention, also sustains the luminosity of their practice as it is. They remind us through this exhibition that, “The wild geese do not intend to cast their reflection; The water has no mind to retain their image.” Janine Dimaranan 1/1

Dapo Chad Montero July 5 - 26, 2025 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 “Dapo” is derived from the common folk belief about the “dapo ng paru-paro.” In this filipino pamahiin, it is thought that when a butterfly alights around or upon you, they are“nagpaparamdam” or “bumibisita.” It is said that they are the spirits of the departed coming to visit the living, fluttering and passing in the in-between to act as messengers from a world beyond our reach. They embody our lost loved ones, dropping in to whisper a blessing or a gentle farewell, to give comfort or bring luck to the ones who are left behind. They flutter and pass. These momentary instances of proximity, faint like the touch of a butterfly and elusively short like the light of fireflies, remind us of the fleetingness of life. We weave through life making numerous connections and relationships, creating beginnings and yet conscious of our eventual partings. While all we can do is to treasure these tenuous ties in the brief interval of our coexistence, as we are then left holding on to the fragments of memories and the accumulation of stories. It is in this course that Chad Montero portrays chronicles of loss and remembrance, with the deep acceptance that nothing is permanent, everything is just temporary. He hordes the memories and the stories inspired by his background and family history. He paints from his observations about the happenings that surround him, most relevantly, the recent deaths and losses his family has had to endure together. And yet, despite the aches, he still finds a transcending enchantment in the evidence of our mortality. Through his works, he looks back and reminisces while depicting these ephemeral contacts that occasionally manifests to remind us of the stories that remain eternal. He uses imageries based from the typical family portraits, which he then interspersed with vague figures, faceless or hidden behind shrouds. Their essence is clearly intertwined in the dynamics of the assembled characters, deeply felt but also barely there. These vacant presences appear like spiritual portals to another realm or like mystical echoes from a time long gone. He covers the images with delicate patterns and texture that appear brittle to the touch, wrapping them with vibrant colors and splintered flecks of light. Dense foliage creep at the background, engulfing some figures and dominating the picture plane. And at the base of the paintings are crude apothecaries in reference to the healing traditions of his mother and grandmother. Through these whimsical interpretations, he seeks guidance from the past and finds patterns in the fabric of our reality, exposing a hint of magic in his perceptions about life and the ordinary. In this exhibit, Montero becomes an ardent storyteller who recollects the inherited narratives and the forgone memories that has been passed down through generations, tales that carry folk traditions and mythical beliefs that are slowly declining, forgotten and overshadowed by our mortal concerns. He keeps the remnants by marking and stamping in canvas and re-drawing the fading connections to our ancestry and our shared history. Arvi Fetalvero 1/1

Promete Iggy Rodriguez November 8 - 29, 2025 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 Wretchedness precedes a promise. In burning silences where hope festers, heads are bowed and palms clenched up to oblivious skies. Promete expounds on perplexities of desperate longing, of frenzied clutching in lieu of tangible progress. Promete -- to promise – harks back to Rodriguez’s Chavacano roots, to growing up in Zamboanga City where both societal status and religion cut a gaping divide that only distance and introspection divulge. The exhibit is, in a sense, the artist’s self-scrutiny; methodical pen and brush strokes are a form of desperate worship as much as they are of systematic condemnation. The Politics of Longing Rodriguez’s meticulous pen and ink details painstakingly capture the cacotopia of faith in “Garden of Unearthly Desires,” a candidly Boschian rendition of the grotesque spectacle of devotion where the manufactured idea of paradise is matched in idiocy by resulting exhibitions of reverence. Veneration is a performance as much as infallibility is a farce. In this obscene landscape, the unmovable taunt with contrived indifference. The destitute kneel in the belief that suffering is a prerequisite to dangled salvation, their fervent faith sustaining the powerful. Uncertainty blooms in a morphology of writhing limbs in “Dance of the Anguished,” where the symphony of misery is dehumanized bythe logic of geometry: it is as painful as it is expected. But faith largely relies on myths of deliverance and therefore balks under the gravity of unfulfilled promises in “Weight of the Wind,” for the responsibility of belief falls on those who contort, just as the idea of rain rests on the ardent hope of those who dance. Known for his brand of social realism that centers on the absurdity of human existence eternally trapped in nuances of politics and power, Rodriguez traverses murky silences in dynamics of society– the promisor blunders as the hopeful squirm in the agony of waiting. In works from the ‘Asa’ series, postures of yearning are inevitably trapped in the inanity of desire. This series of semi-sculptural pen and ink drawings from the artist’s collection probes the sanctity of devotion in the grip of futility. The Paradox of Self As the canvases smolder with red-orange undertones, questions arise and disturb: are the quiet seething rather than cowering? Are the mighty paralyzed rather than supine? Identity dissolves into hollow patterns in “Anonymous II” as bodies become fragmented puzzles in search of coherence. But it is precisely in these fissures of despair that the will to assemble persists, albeit muted by doubt. Hesitance is confused for anticipation. In contemplating nightmarish dystopias, Rodriguez scrutinizes structures of dominance held captive by their own authority. Unyielding horsemen in “Monumental Entropy” epitomize architectures of empires that attempt to merge but melt with their own weight – grandeur blooms with decay as corporations dissolve but refuse to crumble. Turmoil, thus, is not exclusive to the powerless. Adam, a parable of possession, is entangled in an unsettling mix of manic triumph and delusion in “Inheritance of the First Man,” perforce wearing his arrogant, idiotic grin, eternally trapped in his own hubris. Presupposed wisdom is an insult as the powerful eternally fumble. Eminence offers no reprieve. In the unforgiving dichotomy of dominion and desolation, empires have none to plead to but their own fragility. “Petition of the Unmoved” embodies society ensnared by its own systems. It is a testament to the realization of vulnerabilities, and a contemplation of the ironies of its own existence: jagged monoliths pierce through and take control as thought is wryly debased in a contemptible figure bloated by its own consumption. The infallible kneels and prays for its own salvation. Promete invites the viewer to relish in both reverence and disillusionment, and to ponder contradictions in the rhetoric of absurdity. Geometric rigidity intersperses with quivering bodies as the indestructible feigns complacence. In Rodriguez’s persistent interrogations of societal systems and politics of the self, the sacrosanct is as steadfast as it is weary. Piya Constantino 1/1

Koleksyon Neil Pasilan June 8 -29, 2024 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 Koleksyon shares with us Neil Pasilan’s personal compilation of his own works; an anthology of stories in the fringe of his grand narrative. Much like objects in a museum, they are likewise preserved, cared for, and revered. They represent fragments of his imagination and forms of expression. The pieces are remnants of pursued visions and completed endings since they were made of leftover paint and used palettes. We find meaning in the materiality beyond what was prescribed, complemented by the artist’s confidence in the dynamic behavior of color. As a self-taught artist, artmaking for Pasilan has become an extension of his life when painting was organically integrated in his routine. Nevertheless, the mundane that is illustrated is not mediocre nor indifferent. There is a group of people rendered as black figures, certainly dim but not tragic. An angel is against a sea of blue, adorned with a single tree. There are a few lone characters who appear messianic with the light they bear. Some persons seem nomadic. The image and format of the landscape is disrupted in the collection: by a black and white textured portrait that is imposing with its puzzling wry face; and a collage work depicting a sword piercing a frame, the sharpest point at the end is held by an outreached hand. The familiar communities and characters reflect the consistency that was developed and nurtured in the artist’s practice. The crudeness of the edges of the picture plane implies there is more we can uncover; the artist paints and will paint some more. We might think that this is because of the persistence of excess, but in fact it is working within limitations that drives his creativity. Perhaps, this is a conscious diligence in creation–to fulfill his purpose of being. '-Con Cabrera 1/1

OBSKVRA Pinggot Zulueta March 9 -30, 2024 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 OBSKVRA “In the dark times, will there also be singing? Yes, there will also be singing. About the dark times.” -Bertolt Brecht In a world cloaked in darkness, the artist Pinggot Zulueta wields his ink pen as both a lamentation and invocation. In his solo exhibition of new works, Obskvra, the artist presents ten artworks that resonate with a powerful blend of artistic vision, social critique, and exhortation. Obskvra is the fifth in a series of artworks by Pinggot Zulueta, which focuses on the existentiality of the human condition, his philosophical contemplations, and our infinite potential for survival. In 2016, his exhibition ‘Incepto’ had provided entry into the sublime thoughts of the artist’s soul. A year later, in ‘Ka.thar.sis’, his thoughtful reflection on alienation and solitude within unfamiliar environments was the central theme. In 2020, ‘Melankolia’ delved on understanding the inner self to achieve a sense of connection and harmony with one’s past. In 2022, ‘Infinitum’ accentuated an intense awareness of mortality, while urging viewers to make deliberate choices on what is truly important. The artist has excelled in various forms of art and within his works there is a wide range of genres and styles. His art dignifies his experience and universalizes it through a medium that dives deeply under the surface. The artist combines surrealistic elements and visually stunning images where black predominates over all colors. His use of symbols combined with intricate details and textures has produced artworks that are both haunting and beautiful. The choice of a more dispassionate and sober mode of expression, using ink pen and paper, is not unrelated to his inner struggle in the service of which his artworks are made. “My artistic process is characterized by the balance between a visual expression of what I see as well as personal influences. As an approach, repetitive layering using ink pen on paper continues until I feel a sense of harmony exists between the physical components and the evocative aspects of my artworks. I generate ideas through the artistic process itself. The unpredictable nature of layering – each step is a reaction to the one before - is a constant building up of an image and tearing it down. The more layers are added, the more thought provoking the artwork becomes. This artistic process is also a metaphor for how I have been shaped by what I have experienced. “ The artist’s works tend to be dark and almost monochrome save for the use of dramatic highlights – and present their subjects as fundamentally ungraspable and, inevitably, remain out of reach. His art is not about creating beautiful or enjoyable objects, nor is it about producing a pleasurable experience to delight the viewers. His artworks are designed to do quite the opposite – to cause us discomfort, to make us uneasy, or to make us feel the anguish and burden of existence. In Obskvra, the tension between the artist’s imagination and the overriding obligation to present the truth characterizes his works. His artworks convey darkness, mystery, and chaos. These are an extension of the artist’s subconscious which reveals what we already intimately know. He uses surreal symbols to depict the ideas and institutions, or temples of humanism, that our future has been invested in. The icons from which we drew our strengths now appear as esoteric characters, atrophied from within and turned into empty shells. His artworks have become an archival tool for resistance, a survival kit of imagination to retrieve and reclaim what has been lost. The exhibition is packed with artistic explorations – the central showcase, a four-panel piece, displays the artist’s skillful use of ink to produce a detailed and intricate image that conveys a sense of unease and psychological tension. ‘Hereditas (Legacy)’ presents the ‘weight of the world’ which is symbolized by a colossal stone eclipsing the innocent visage of Infanta Margarita, echoing Velasquez's timeless portrayal. The black backdrop signifies the present, enveloped in the shadow of our choices. Amidst the decay of Earth, the artwork challenges viewers to confront the legacy we bequeath to future generations – a poignant reflection on the responsibility to unveil a sustainable and hopeful future for our grandchildren and the next generation. The artist brings to our attention images that invoke a sense of urgency, if not in content, then invariably, in context. Faced with the fragmented and haunting elements of our past and present, how then do we construct a future? ‘Earthkeeper’ depicts a veiled woman standing amidst a mystical landscape. Her long dress symbolizes rootedness and the heart at her core radiates universal love, while the blackish cloud formation behind signifies the complexities of her earthly stewardship. This artwork is a visual ode to a transcendent guardianship of our shared home. This artwork reminds us that the ecological disaster worsens daily and yet the world remains distracted by politics that trade on setting up division, hatred, and fear. ‘Allegory of Rapture’ captures a poignant moment where an angel statue, symbolizing divine presence, rests against a dark foreground. The looming cumulus clouds suggest an impending event, or an imminent divine presence. This juxtaposition of celestial and sombre elements symbolizes the delicate juncture between the ephemeral and eternal. This artwork delves into the transient nature of humanity and contemplates questions surrounding our finite existence. In it, the dark landscape looms, as so often, a visual image truly speaks louder than words. Art invokes something in the human spirit that bolsters the soul in the toughest times and gives some sense of peace and purpose. The artist incorporates this idea into his work. He challenges viewers to consider other possibilities and to make alternatives happen. He invokes viewers to see the world differently and to adapt to wider perspectives beyond their own fears and anxieties. Bertolt Brecht put it powerfully: Art is not a mirror held up to society, but a hammer with which to shape it. In the darkest of times, art is not an indulgence. It is a mark of our deepest humanity and is essential. It is a way of undermining constrained perspectives, restoring hope, forging a sense of resilience, and asserting our humanity. The darkness of the world may not be our fault, but to light up the world is our existential duty. To cure the ills of society is too much to ask for any art or artist. But when a body of work – because it comes from a place of truth and universality – can reflect the horrors of the moment we live in, then it is incumbent upon us to give it serious attention. We cannot afford to overlook an ‘oeuvre’ as timely as this. V E Zulueta Pinggot Zulueta PINGGOT ZULUETA is a visual artist, editorial cartoonist and photographer. Since 1983, he has been joining art exhibitions here and abroad. He has presented 10 solo shows, including Tilamsik (1985), Asinta (2002), Aotearoa Series in New York (2005), Makatulog Ka Pa Kaya - with Poetry by Nationall Artist Virgilio Almario aka Rio Alma (2013) and Infinitum (2022). His artwork had been featured in the 2014 Langkawi Art Biennale in Malaysia. In 2015 and 2018, he produced a couple of coffee table books, about Filipino Contemporary artists entitled, Filipino Artists in Their Studios I and II. He graduated from the University of Santo Tomas with a degree in Fine Arts, Major in Painting. 1/1

RETRO DECADE | June 18, 2022 - July 9, 2022 RETRO DECADE JULIO JOSE AUSTRIA June 18, 2022 - July 9, 2022 1/6 View Catalogue Video Press Release Through the lens of Julio José Austria's myriad of complex ideas, the range of emotions and recollections reveal a universal story of migration and labor challenges. "RetroDecade" is a timely exposition that demonstrates the possibility of bringing diversity into conceptual and diasporic discourses while also challenging differences between multiple worldviews. It confronts the artist’s cross-cultural experiences and difficulty establishing identity in the constant shift between domains. Austria's body of work primes his canvases with meaning, struggles, and sentiments – which appear as an intimate, unfinished conversation between his assemblages of experiences from living in the United States of America over the years. His physical distance from home – far from his native home –has broadened his world, as expressed in his art. His works take inspiration from his early consciousness of migration which drives memory and provides a visual portrayal of meaning and observation from his varied surroundings. The exhibition offers diverse artistic responses from the artist’s accounts to poetic meditations; it explores the personal and observed narratives surrounding the difficulties of pursuing art, the immigration process, asylum, assimilation, and the perception of being “other” within the American culture. Walking through the works on display lives through the artist in search of a haven, carrying his ideas and talents with him, which transcend cultural barriers, strengthen understanding, and stimulate greater compassion in the diaspora's thriving art scene. His distinct method of creating these collections of works reflects his complexities and struggles driven by the pursuit of artistic freedom and grace behind chaos –silent yet explosive. Intentionally overwhelming his canvas with an array of mediums and concepts, Austria finds solace in the process of narrowing down and removing unnecessary attributes to reveal and come up with a clear message and composition that is essential to his work. An installation that supplements Austria's paintings directly converges on the audience at the gallery's entrance, using the iconic balikbayan boxes as a valuable material to symbolize the Philippine diaspora and wooden pallets and scrap materials from his recent workplace. The familiar material served as a subtle reminder of home in an atmosphere that felt almost disconnected and unfamiliar in its global prestige – fragile and fading. The artist also cites a specific piece titled "Investing the Alien" as the catalyst for this artistic journey, reminding him of his hopeful depictions of success and profession striving to navigate "the dream." Julio Jose Austria Julio José Austria is a Filipino-American visual artist residing in New York City. His works mainly focused on migration and urbanization which provides a visual portrayal of his profound life experiences and narratives based on his observations and absorption of the environment he is in. Austria earned his Bachelor’s degree in Painting at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. He has received various international fellowships such as the 2009 Asian Artist Full Fellowship Award at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vermont; a Joan Mitchell Foundation grant for the Ox-Bow School for the Arts in Saugatuck, Michigan in 2010; and the Ruth Katzman Scholarship Award by the Vytlacil Campus of the Arts Student League of New York. He was a studio artist in Chashama Space to Create Program and a mentee in New York Foundation for the Arts Immigrant Artist Program. His works have been exhibited as well in Bangkok, Singapore, Berlin, London, and Vienna. “RetroDecade” is a collection of experiences and issues that resonated with him the most in the decade that he resided in New York. It tackles how migration, labor, diversity, pandemic, history, and culture correlates with Austria’s life.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind | August 10 -September 7, 2024 Out of Sight, Out of Mind Erick Villarruz August 10 -September 7, 2024 1/4 View Catalogue Video Press Release From Chaos To Art Out of Sight, Out of Mind marks Erick Villarruz's triumphant return to Art Cube Philippines, a fitting venue for his 10th solo exhibition as it was the very place where his artistic journey began in 2014. Now celebrating his decade of creative fruition, the artist has come full circle, going back to one of his early loves in artmaking: portraying figures as a means of processing and expression, while providing a deeper understanding of his subjects through his and others’ recent experiences. Villarruz observes that the world has not been the same, as change, a necessary agent, has, expectedly, altered realities as we see and go through them. With his exhibition, he delves into the complexities of neurodevelopmental disorders and what simply might be confusing due to sensory overload, as he translates the often unseen and misunderstood into visually compelling narratives. From his past works of simple representations of interiors and objects of fascination, he now goes into intricate depictions of psychological states, capturing the chaotic yet profound nature of the human mind. Known for employing earthy tones, the artist now aims to evoke a sense of grounding amidst the mental chaos through the application of vibrantly hued figures set in a background of forest green. The tactile quality of oil paint allows him to layer and build textures, mirroring the layers of the mind's experiences. This medium, with its rich hues, provides a perfect foil for the artist’s exploration of figuration and psychological introspection, with his subject’s changing hair colors providing visual cues to an intimate knowledge of uncertainty and doubt. In viewing the exhibition, one might recognize how overthinking rips the consciousness apart, with silent screams sometimes becoming the only way to drown out the noise. Multiple eyes stare with emotion and intensity, evoking the overwhelming nature of constant thought and the struggle to find clarity. The muscular form of a socket devoid of an eye might remind us of certain snippets of anime or manga, but the open lips and spliced faces in various states of articulation offer striking visual metaphors, inviting viewers to reflect on the inner turmoil that often goes unseen. When we say the oft-repeated quote, Out of Sight, Out of Mind, it means that people quickly forget someone if that particular someone goes away. In the artist's case, however, he reminds us that what is inside the mind is exactly what we don't see, but the signs are many–if only we know how to read them and take the correct paths to action. Villarruz seemingly employs the pieces in Out of Sight, Out of Mind to foster kindness and understanding, particularly towards those who are harsh or unkind to themselves. By bringing to light hidden battles, the artist seeks to cultivate empathy and compassion. As he deftly explores the labyrinthine complexities of the mind, he vulnerably offers a glimpse into the artist’s soul and the unseen struggles of many. Through his art, Villarruz invites us all to look deeper, hope we comprehend, and extend kindness to ourselves and others. -Kaye O’Yek

Neither Here Nor There | September 10 - October 01, 2022 Neither Here Nor There Arvi Fetalvero & Ioannis Sicuya September 10 - October 01, 2022 1/6 View Catalogue Video Press Release Placelessness In his prophetic poem, The Second Coming, William Butler Yeats declared: “Things fall apart; the center cannot hold…” It seems that the terrifying vision of the poet has become a nightmarish reality, especially in this Age of Disinformation, where the most bald-faced lies are manipulated to assume a veneer of truth and where truths are subjected to various forms of alteration to appear as lies. Without a consensus of what constitutes the real, what happens then to the issues that we face—from the scarcity of basic commodities to the larger threat of climate crisis? It is in a state of decenteredness that Arvi Fetalvero and Ioannis Sicuya locate their two-artist exhibit, Neither Here Nor There. The show, which juxtaposes the horizontality of Fetalvero’s paintings and the verticality of Sicuya’s sculptures, defies the usual call for resilience and moving forward and instead confronts the low visibility—if not the general bleakness—of the future, given the threats that assail the personal, national, and global conditions. It plots the works along the coordinates of indeterminacy, where it’s no longer possible to know whether to move forward, backward, or sideways. Instead of mounting his works on a wall, where they are fixed and stable, Sicuya introduces a pivot of instability by employing the sphere as base on which the ruins are precariously situated. Even an insignificant force will make the sculpture rock before it stabilizes and restores its center of gravity. The viewer, to use the artist’s words, “hikes with their own eyes” onto the ruinous structure in a feat of Sisyphean monotony before concluding on a telescope that also swings wildly, unaffixed to any direction. While ruins usually suggest a glorious civilization, the versions in this exhibit evoke a minor and deluded empire. For Fetalvero, the sense of stasis is conveyed by the horizontal line, evoked by a suite of paintings that feature ropes of lace knotted at places. Delicate, fragile, and offering no ostensible support, they are reminiscent of featureless landscapes, absent of identifying markers, expanding on both ends. These works, it must be noted, depart from the Fetalvero’s usual vertical works, which were all about propulsive growth and reaching for impossible heights. Now, the state of affairs has flat-lined and, scanning for a promise of destination, what one sees is merely a line of shimmering mirage. Neither Here Nor There presents an attitude of skepticism, if not pessimism, for the status quo in which bedrock certainties have been eroded by falsity, propaganda, and historical revisionism. How to proceed when the world is burning? A space of indeterminacy, as these works also paradoxically attest, may also be a locus for radical hope, the gray area where one may regroup, gather strength and resources, and clarify one’s vision—and locate, even in the darkest of nights, pinpricks of light that may be used for navigation. -Carlomar Arcangel Daoana Arvi Fetalvero (b.1989) & Ioannis Sicuya (b.1988) Arvi Fetalvero is a Filipino visual artist who is known for her space-oriented and meditative works. She graduated and finished Cum Laude from the Asia Pacific College School of Multimedia Arts in 2014. Arvi’s body of works ranges from oil and acrylic paintings, and graphite drawings, to sculptural resin on textiles and installation pieces. For her, Art is a coping mechanism that helps her mentally process what’s happening to the world. Her works are a reflection of her musings about space, the fluidity and rigidness of its boundaries, and how one can activate a space to convey thoughts and experiences. For their upcoming two-man exhibit, Arvi’s idea is filled with horizontal lace drawings (graphite & acrylic on canvas) that represent an endless desert landscape/horizon. She wants her viewers to feel disoriented with a limited view of the world (through a telescope atop a round & wobbly foundation) when all they can see is an endless desert (almost repetitive lace drawings). Ioannis Sicuya is a graduate of Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines– finishing Cum Laude. He was a Finalist in the Sculpture Category at the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (2021) and was shortlisted at the Ateneo Art Awards (2021). He is known for his structural-like sculpture, a mixture of from-the-ground-up buildings complimented by details made from mold-casting processes using epoxy. Ioannis was inspired to incorporate structural sculpture as his style when their house was infested with termites. He was fascinated by the works of the termites– shelter tube-type carvings and subterranean tunnels on wooden surfaces. He describes his works as creations like Legos but better since he gets to make his own blocks. For their upcoming two-man exhibit, Titled: Neither Here Nor There. Ioannis hopes to elicit in his audience the feeling of “hiking with their own eyes” as his viewers experience his works. He highlights this series in particular since it echoes the theme that he wants to express which is pretty much a continuation of his ongoing exploration of his material and his attempts to transform it to create imagined landscapes.

The Day After the Night Before Clairelynn Uy June 3 - 24, 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 Technology made it accessible for anyone to explore interests and techniques that used to be far more exclusive, time-consuming, or skill-intensive to do. Meanwhile, the processes and philosophies of early adopters and pioneers continue to linger on, so much so that people still cite inspirations from those who lived centuries ago. What would the greats of the past would say if they saw how we have trodded down the paths they blazed? In a time where the barrier to entry for almost everything have been lowered, the question of replication, adaptation, and reproduction often comes up. I'm an optimist and in this exhibition is a storytelling of where does that leaves us. Each new giant is a new reference point in exploring the grounds they laid bare. As we continue to adapt and iterate on those ideas, they evolve into something different and become brand new spaces to explore. 1/1

Birthmark | November 05 - 26, 2022 Birthmark Dexter Sy November 05 - 26, 2022 1/5 View Catalogue Video Press Release Birthmark In "Birthmark," Dexter Sy remembers moments from his past through works that present themselves as markers of every chapter of his life. Born to a Filipino-Chinese family, his practice has always been informed by the cultural particularities and bearings of living in two cultures. Here, red dominates the exhibition as the artist believes that the color aptly represents Asian identity and its duality. In many cultures in the region, red is associated with all things auspicious and happy. Its symbolic connection to positive forces of energy pivoted its popularity. Textile and mixed media works marking Sy's articulation of these characteristics are present in this exhibition. To build a narrative, he presents works in different formats such as portraits, assemblages, and sculptures--- all are part of a visual account that hints at the various stages of the artist's life and the environment he had lived in the past. In the "Time Passing Moments" series, objects and textiles are held together to form an image, producing what seems to be a scrapbook, where fragments of memories are embedded and sewn. Meanwhile, the exhibition's three prominent mixed media works illustrate embodiments, perhaps from real people related to the artist; they tell us about the significance of time in our kinships. Probably one of Sy's most vital works, "Life Cycle," is a family portrait full of suggestions and innuendos as to the true nature of familial dynamics, especially in the case of those similar to the artist's background and caught between this duality. The work demonstrates the somewhat enigmatic approach in portraying something conventional. The work includes images of people and objects that sometimes appear as heavenly bodies creating a whimsical mood in the pictorial. Part of this presentation is a series of vintage acupuncture rubber models turned into mixed media sculptures by the artist. The intervention on a material historically used to teach traditional medicine is a proposed form of reclaiming the body through healing. Thus, one can only be healed when someone feels comfortable and grounded enough in his identity amidst all its complications. Thus, in inserting himself through these objects, the self emerges from the boundaries and limits of traditions and stereotypes. In understanding "Birthmark," one must realize his place in the scope of his relations; individual, community, and nation. Then, all that we have inherited and are forced to carry on can all become instruments and tools as we carve our own histories. -Gwen Bautista Dexter Sy (b.1979) Dexter Sy is a visual artist who is known for his two-dimensional works often combining painting with pen and ink drawing in connection to the cultural particularities of being a Chinese-Filipino. He graduated with a degree in Fine Arts major in Advertising from Far Eastern University. He underwent a residency program at the Haslla International Open Air Museum Residency in Korea (2011, 2012, and 2015). In 2017, through the Philippine Artist Residency Program of Alliance Française de Manille, he was able to go through a residency and have a solo exhibition at Centre Intermondes in La Rochelle, France. His upcoming exhibit Titled: Birthmark is about his personal experience growing up in two different cultures (Fil-Chinese). Most of his works are highlighted in the shade of Red which for him represents his identity as an Asian and some of his works have a patch of alpombra, a material usually utilized to create carpets, which for him represents the Birthmark.

Dulo ng Langit | November 4 - 25, 2023 Dulo ng Langit Jojit Solano November 4 - 25, 2023 1/8 View Catalogue Video Press Release Dulo ng Langit The maxim, "Nothing is true, everything is permitted," serves as the guiding ethos for a particular society that has artfully constructed an illusory utopia. Within this societal framework, paramount importance is assigned to the convenience and affluence of a select few, while simultaneously inculcating fear as a mode of faith. In this realm, conventional notions of morality are regarded as the stuff of legend, overshadowed by a pervasive illusion of immortality, wherein the unrestrained expenditure of wealth is fervently pursued with the primary objective of warding off the specter of mortality. Within the folds of this enigmatic society, certain individuals, characterized by their manipulative tendencies, solipsistic disposition, and tendencies toward psychopathy, don disguises and cloaks, masquerading as heroes. Employing time-worn stratagems, they resort to a form of misdirection, akin to the deceptive allure of the pied piper, thereby beguiling the populace into regarding them as deities incarnate. They deliberately withhold the truth from us and compel us to engage with a distorted narrative. They have made grandiose promises of a sanctuary for salvation, constructed from a foundation of corruption, and their primary driving force is monetary gain. All their actions are veiled with this underlying motive. With their immense influence, they maintain control over us, even at the cost of our own moral integrity, all under the pretense of serving the so-called 'greater good.' We remain oblivious to the activities occurring behind the scenes, and they propagate the notion that they are impervious to wrongdoing, blurring the lines between love and hate. In the relentless quest for salvation amidst impending catastrophe, the paradisiacal landscape on the horizon appears distorted, obscured by a shroud of obfuscation, inducing a pervasive sense of madness. So entwined are the inhabitants with their illusions that the path toward veracity and enlightenment is all but forgotten. Frenk Sison Jojit Solano