ALAALA Christian Culangan | Kim Gaceja April 30 - May 22, 2021 VIEW THE EXHIBITION CATALOG Video Link Alaala Virginia Woolf recalls one of the earliest memories of her mother with her wearing a black dress. Adorned with red and purple flowers, sitting on her lap as they were returning home to London. Material memories furnish our reminiscence of the past. Fabric in particular serve a distinct role in that it acts to disguise and yet also reveal much of who a person is. Christian Culangan's figures, entangled limbs splayed like wheel spokes. They shamble toward their ultimate destination, guided by the light of the cross-lantern. The zipper's arranged in a yonic fashion, portray a story of birth and coming to age in a world of industrial cloth. Growing up around the cloth trade and seamstresses, fabric has been ever present in his youth. It is a reassuring presence, one that has been with him through life's uncertainties. Within the drapery he renders respecting elders, religion and maternal love from fond mnemonic memory. Kim Gaceja reminisces on a more intimate relationship with fabric. Closed curtains and heavy blankets recall protective charms. They act as bulwarks for the personal to the social. A veneer that mediates between the inner self and the outside world. He depicts a warm and welcoming domicile in contrast to the hard edges and hard surfaces of the concrete world. Soft linen, mist-like curtains and wistful carpets recall days of peace and silence. Both tempting and threatening complete withdrawal. The silence and stillness implying the regret of loss and a longing. Alaala approaches cloth as a the signified and as a signifier. They apply the question of tactile memory, in reverence to who the objects belong to, personal ideography and its significance to the present. Presenting a purview of material connection to hopeful though uncertain futures. -Floyd Absalon A young, multi-talented artist working with painting, graphic design, video, and sound art, Christian Culangan was raised in Caloocan City in the Philippines, a highly urbanized city in the metropolitan Manila. He draws great influence for his works from his life circumstances. His place of origin’s root word “Kalook-lookan” which means innermost is where he anchors his ideals. He is inspired by his experiences from his childhood religion and this is highly evident in his works. His creations are always full of emotions, strongly authentic, and deviate from the ideals of conformity. Culangan is a Fine Arts graduate majoring in Advertising at the Technological University of the Philippines. His determination has led him to join multiple art competitions and has successfully achieved recognition each time. He was a semi-finalist in the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence Competition (MADE) for consecutive years and a 2nd place title holder at the Shell National Student Art Competition (NSAC); these experiences further evoked him to continue developing his craft. He takes pride in his figurative style as he is constantly on the lookout for new techniques and materials that separates his work from the usual. Culangan shares that his creative process is gradual and his experimentation on each piece is incremental. His works showcase expressionist strokes and he incorporates objects such as zippers and fabrics in most of his pieces. Culangan’s affiliation with Room 111 art group has positively affected his work process. This has opened more avenues for him to showcase his works in the industry. He has displayed his works in more than 20 shows since 2015. Today, his works can be found in multiple galleries around the metro. Kim Gaceja is a graduate of the Technological University of the Philippines with a Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in Advertising. His passion is driven by his inspirations. He considers art as a practice where he feels free and accepted. For Gaceja, art is a space where he feels less conscious of what others think for in his works, the main focus is solely his mind and the feelings of belonging. His vision is to bring the audience a comforting sensation when viewing his works while highlighting seemingly absurd ideas. As absences fill spaces in his paintings, it acts as an invitation for discussions. His style, known as Impressionism, is a process where a different color palette is used which then requires him to premix his paint. After he successfully stains his canvas, he starts to work on his concept from end to end. Gaceja joined a lot of competition in his earlier years and has been a finalist in countless events in the Philippines. In 2016, he was one of the semifinalists in the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE) Competition. His work has been seeing appreciation since 2016 through various group exhibitions with galleries inside and outside of the metro. His affiliation with the art group ROOM 111 has helped him reach a greater audience

MILK AND TEA Marrie Saplad August 21 - September 11, 2021 View Catalogue Video Rose Marrie Saplad was born in 1984 and is a wife to fellow visual artist Florante “Pongbayog” Paghari-on. In each of the pieces in her works, she features everyday objects in monochrome. Since her conception of her first sculpture series The Glass series, she has evolved into other concepts like the hanky series and the tea bag series. Her first work was created back in 2017 where she showed transparent glass bottles on white surfaces and linen. She painted on the glass because she wanted to show the different reflections that produce different forms which she finds inspirational. Marrie says that she specifically used the milk and tea as a subject because it complements the idea she wants to express along with her favorite subject, the glass. She wants to explore the play of light and dark in opaque and transparent matter. The boldness of the color white in milk and tea bags is striking whether in a light or dark background. Milk and Tea represents the meaning of the words transparent, innocent and meditate. The transparency of the glass reflects a character of being seen through the insides. On the other hand, when thinking of milk, she sees a child ‘s innocence and pureness. It is evident that their intentions are pure at heart. Lastly, when you envision Tea it is something to think about, something that you look forward to like an event in the future or an occasion.

OH WELL MARIBEL MAGPOC AND RAPHAEL CARLOTO 17 OCTOBER 2020 OH WELL More than six months since the country had seen its first case of the Coronavirus. Still, we all seem to be walking on eggshells as we navigate through all aspects of our lives affected by the pandemic. The exhibition “Oh Well” is a visual manifestation of how personal and collective struggles are amplified due to the situation’s volatility. Here, artists Raphael Carloto and Maribel Magpoc, look into the effects of the present time in the human psyche and how it transforms society. “Oh Well” demonstrates dual narratives hinged on difficult emotions and how we deal with them. Subdued images of urban scenes are at the center of Carloto’s works. Laborers on their way to work and go about their day while wearing a mask. These are tales we see as we turn on the news. Carloto describes these scenarios through varying degrees of feelings and emotions: guilt, pain, frustration, discomfort, and being overwhelmed by the sudden changes we now have to face. Carloto’s sentiments are embodied within these images: on the outside, the world appears to have regained some sense of normality, and yet, internally, we are all screaming. In one of his paintings, a distorted male figure is at the center of the canvas. He stands aloof and yet tussles to tilt his head and meet the viewer, but he never makes it. Carloto compares this with anxiety when in the middle of a crowd; he wants to connect and talk to people but finds himself in an uncomfortable position. After months of isolation, this must have been the case for many of us. The uncertainty of our situation is depicted in another of Carloto’s works where different doors are standing inside a workshop. The artist compares this to the similarities between the paths we are led and our fear with the people we allow to enter. Should we instead build our own door? Meanwhile, the works of Maribel Magpoc illustrate narratives that appear to have been seized in time. Magpoc’s body of works depicts her sister, who is living with Down syndrome, in everyday scenarios. This conscious insertion of her subject calls for equal rights and treatment of people with disabilities. However, today the world has turned 360-degree. Magpoc painted images of her sister in scenes that mirror what the rest of us are doing: inside our homes and hopelessly waiting for progress on how to defeat the notorious virus. The irregularity of the circumstances re-defined our capacities to survive, whether in our physical or emotional state. Magpoc paints a familiar image: a girl sitting in front of a computer while her face communicates her exhaustion from all of it. The next scene tells us that she is in the middle of a virtual celebration. The supposed joyous moment is clouded with everyone’s trauma and attempts to grasp any normal sense. Somber mood emits from objects that should have been symbols of delight. Then, Magpoc paints us another interpretation: her sister sitting beside a pile of luggage while a photo of the Eiffel Tower in Paris hovers around her head. On the other hand, next to it is an image of different indoor plants. Perhaps, what the artist wants us to realize is that despite restrictions in mobility, we can still thrive and grow. However, the mood of all the works in this exhibition releases either a sense of resignation or resilience. There’s a heaviness in our chests and sometimes, moments of relief. For now, expressing that is maybe enough. Oh, well. VIEW THE EXHIBITION CATALOG

CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING CIANE XAVIER September 18 - October 09, 2021 View Catalogue Video Intrigued by the real essence of humanism, transhumanism, and life in general, Ciane Xavier gets to the bottom of her own life experiences and deep personal emotions to explore and share her perception on human truths. As we live in the world where there are limitations and boundaries, we see in her “Carrying the Weight” and “Dragging Away” sculptures a story that tells the fragility and vulnerability of our being. That as humans, we have flaws and imperfections that lead us to self-discovery. Her works such as “Study 2” on canvas, “Study 4 of a Mother” on paper, and “Reflection” sculpture allows us to think about self-discovery. While we continue to explore our physicality, we also come to appreciate ourselves and the potential we hold as a person. Moreover, Xavier captured the revelation of human existence by using characters to signify power and how it enables to feed one’s soul as seen in “Study 5” on paper and “Mother” sculpture. Transhumanism is reflected in the artwork “We” on canvas and “Together” sculpture which portrays the interlinking of two worlds—of technology and reality. Machineries persist to advance, and so is the tangible world with all of its people. We witness the progression of the co-existing worlds and we continue to learn how to adapt into it. With all of our human questions, Xavier’s Connecting and Disconnecting exhibit is her way of prompting a conversation among her audience about what it really means to exist and live in the current world. She keeps her work vague and open to interpretation because there is no absolute answer to all of our questions and doubts. Indeed, life is an everyday discovery of our purpose and boundaries. - GPH Ciane Xavier is from a small town in the South of Brazil. Since her teenage years, she has lived in more than 14 countries, which helped shape much of what she is today. Her first passion was to explore the immense diversity of cultures around the world during her stint as a fashion model. Ciane discovered her inner artist while she was doodling the walls of her new apartment in the Philippines. She drew freely without any hesitations, daydreaming about her life experiences and materializing her deep personal emotions. She realized that her soul was the real artist and her hands were the bridge between the two different worlds. Following her childhood passion of drawing and emerging herself into the art scene was a huge turning point in her life. Since then, she has taught herself how to paint and sculpt, learning about how to work with various materials and integrating them into her work. Through Pop Culture, Ciane explores the boundaries of today's society by touching upon globalization and the distractions of the millennial Era. Her characters serve as an exploration of the human soul, symbolizing power, fragility, vulnerability and eternity while retaining a sense of vagueness to encourage dialogue and question the thoughts of the viewer. Connecting and disconnecting is a solo exhibit by Ciane Xavier about humanism and transhumanism. It shows the blending of machines with the biology of humans. The exhibit talks about the importance of human life with the nature of caring deeply about things that directly impact one’s self. Ciane believes that before we learn to be post-human or transhuman we need to learn to be human.

ARTIST TALKS CONTEMPORARY ART TALK CES DRILON & JOEL BUTUYAN 11 FEBRUARY 2023 BULATLAT 2 ART FORUM SERIES 08 DECEMBER 2018 DENIZENS ARTIST TALK ELMER BORLONGAN 16 AUGUST 2018

EVENTS STILL LIFE PAINTING WORKSHOP FUNDRAISING WORKSHOP 11 FEBRUARY 2023 KWENTO AT KULAY THE FIRST PGW VIRTUAL EXHIBIT 09 JANUARY 2021 ART AID: ART PH THE ART PH ONLINE AUCTION 09 DECEMBER 2020 ADD TO HEART ART FOR A CAUSE NOVEMBER 2020 AN EXTRAORDINARY EYE FOR THE ORDINAIRY RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBIT JANUARY 2018

BACKROOM Renz Baluyot Sa Pagitan ay Haplos Oil on canvas 48 x 36 inches 2025 Renz Baluyot Liwanag sa Loob Oil on canvas 60 x 48 inches 2025 Renz Baluyot Kalakip ay Yakap Oil on canvas 48 x 36 inches 2025 Renz Baluyot Bandera Mixed media on 240 gsm oil painting paper 17.5 x 12.75 inches 2025 Renz Baluyot Tangis Mixed media on 240 gsm oil painting paper 16.5 x 11.7 inches 2025.jpg Renz Baluyot Langit, Lupa mixed media on 240 gsm oil painting paper 16.5 x 11.7 inches 2025 Renz Baluyot Landas(an) Acrylic and oil on canvas 9 x 12 inches 2025 Renz Baluyot Mahal Acrylic and oil on canvas 9 x 12 inches 2025 Renz Baluyot Kuang,Selangor I Graphite on 190 gsm natural white paper 16.5 x 11.7 inches 2025 Renz Baluyot Kuang,Selangor II Graphite on 190 gsm natural white paper 16.5 x 11.7 inches 2025 Renz Baluyot Kuang,Selangor III Graphite on 190 gsm natural white paper 16.5 x 11.7 inches 2025 Renz Baluyot Granville, NY I Graphite on 190 gsm natural white paper 16.5 x 11.7 inches 2025 Renz Baluyot Granville, NY II Graphite on 190 gsm natural white paper 16.5 x 11.7 inches 2025 Renz Baluyot Granville, NY III Graphite on 190 gsm natural white paper 16.5 x 11.7 inches 2025 Renz Baluyot Amherst VA I Graphite on 190 gsm natural white paper 16.5 x 11.7 inches 2025 Renz Baluyot Amherst VA II Graphite on 190 gsm natural white paper 16.5 x 11.7 inches 2025 Renz Baluyot Amherst VA III Graphite on 190 gsm natural white paper 16.5 x 11.7 inches 2025 RC Caringal Restraint Oil on canvas 48 x 48 inches 2025 Jonathan Dangue Goat 1907 1919 1931 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003 2015 2027 2039 2051 2063 2075 2087 2099 2111 Cast resin artist hand, brass wire, found brass object 12 x 7 x 7 inches 2025 Jonathan Dangue Pig 1911 1923 1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007 2019 2031 2043 2055 2067 2079 2091 2103 2115 Cast resin artist hand, brass wire, found brass object 9 x 9 x 8 inches 2025 Jonathan Dangue Rabbit 1903 1915 1927 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999 2011 2023 2035 2047 2059 2071 2083 2095 2107 Cast resin artist hand, brass wire, found brass object 10 x 8 x 8 inches 2025 Paul Eric Roca Litany of Lamentations Acrylic on canvas 48 x 36 inches 2025 Paul Eric Roca Red Tape and Duct Tape Acrylic on canvas 48 x 36 inches 2025 Paul Eric Roca The Organ Grinder Archival ink on acid free paper 200 gsm 12 x 9 inches 2025 Paul Eric Roca The Multitudinous Uses of Duct Tape Archival ink on acid free paper 200 gsm 12 x 9 inches 2025

THE _____ AND THE SELF AZOR PAZCOGUIN | CIANE XAVIER | DEMI PADUA | DON BRYAN BUNAG | EMMAN ACASIO EMMANUEL GARIBAY | GUERRERO HABULAN | JADE ABENDAN | JARRETT CROSS | JASON MOSS LUI GONZALES | LUI MANAIG | MARTIN HONASAN | NASSER ZULUETA 17 JULY 2020 1/4 The ___ and the Self is an online exhibit that visually presents the personal experiences, realizations and feelings of the participating artists, accompanied by literary works. It aspires to become an avenue where viewers can relate and be inspired to the subject's consciousness. The pieces aim to highlight the importance of being sensitive not only to the situation of others, but most importantly to the condition of one's self. The artwork shared by the participating artists became a collective stories of persistence and finding hope and peace in times of emotional instability, isolation, fragility, loss and despair. As we dive into their pieces, we get deeper into their stories, relate to their life at home, and explore the depths of their minds. VIEW THE VIRTUAL EXHIBIT ACCESS THE ACCOMPANIMENT

PAST EXHIBITIONS 2017 START| January Inaugural Exhibit Mag-isa| March Paul David Magisa Empty Talks| March Jerahmeel Alvarez & Roy Rosatase In this exhibition, both artists effectively communicate their take on the human tendency to tell stories and the inherent power of language to destroy, restrict and, dispirit. By dauntlessly drawing from unpleasant family histories and unappealing memories, they convey personal truths in the hopes of challenging status quo in the way people relate with others. In the end, the artists have only thing to say - that there is no point to Empty Talks. Forms of the Formless| June Dexter Sy Dexter Sy contemplates on this paradox of the formless being manifested in forms in his latest gathering of works, weaving his own spirituality and offering his creative take on some of its cherished doctrines and jewels of wisdom. And he does so in a highly sumptuous visual treat for which his art has been known for: minute and intricate details, ornately drawn patterns and textures, and striking fusion of imagery and symbolisms drawn from a vast array of sources. This project is also invested in material exploration as he experiments with combining mixed media, carpets, and canvases. Tahanan| September Max Balatbat Known for his unique visual language that combines abstract elements with collage materials and sometimes intervened with the strokes of a paint-loaded brush or palette knife, Max Balatbat in Tahanan, a solo exhibition organized by Art Cube for the Dragon Gallery of Yuchengco Museum, explores the fraught symbolism of home. For Balatbat, home meant—and still is—his house in Caloocan City, approximate to the whorehouses in Avenida Street that had been the enduring subject matter of his work. It is the fixity of the location of home that Balatbat wished to question and interrogate, leading him to live and set up a makeshift studio in Zambales. Here, the artist negotiated on how home could be brought to a remote, unfamiliar space. Gray Locutions| October Peque Gallaga In Gray Locutions, the director is still at work, telling us stories, meticulously filling out the white spaces with the black and the gray. I look at my father’s collection and what I see are not arbitrary images of children posing or at play. What I see is a storyteller at work, viewing children not just as children, and only filling the blank spaces with that which must be pondered on; that how we deal with each other is neither just black or white. Closet| November Lui Manaig Bent, folded, stowed away—or, more accurately, intentionally covering their faces, not wanting to be visible, resisting revelation—these are the men and women in the latest works of Lui Manaig who hide in the closet. The closet is, of course, already part of our vocabulary, which refers to the metaphorical space in which people bury their sexual identities as they try to fit into heteronormative roles. In our language, we call them “kloseta”—a conflation of the space and the self, one and indivisible. Pre/ Post Human| November Dale Erispe Pre/Post Human is a creative take on the possibilities before and after the presence of humans in relation to the natural environment. It plays around on scenarios if history reverts back to eras before human domination, and at the same time predicts a future where humans cease to exist. It is an assessment of where civilization has brought humanity—a theme suggested by formations reminiscent of monuments such as pyramids, walls, and fortifications among the urban cape elements—and a cautionary reminder against the possible catastrophe resulting from progress left unchecked. The stillness, void, and emptiness created by human absence and the recurring muted palette bring to mind Zen aesthetics, a fitting mood evoked in reflecting on the link between humankind and the forces of nature. Maong| November Herlsey Casero In his one-man show, Maong, Hersley Casero explores the use of denim as an artistic medium. Many of the material’s characteristics, such as its modern color and its renowned resilience, are symbolic of Westernization and globalization, the so-called “denimization” of the world. Many argue that a side effect of this phenomenon is that core values and authentic human experiences are rapidly being taken over by superficiality, surface ideals and judgement of others, and the pursuit of instant gratification, in cultures and societies across the globe. Tinik| November Michael Villagante In Tinik, Michael Villagante’s solo exhibit, thorns constitute a backdrop, a nest, a symbol. They represent what we carry around, take rest in, endure as mortal beings. Amid the beauty of the natural world—and yes, even the civilization that offers us countless conveniences—thorns are omnipresent; nothing can protect us from them. The thorns of illness, pain, and death attend to us like our shadows. We may, once in a while, forget about them and in fact be able to live with them, but nothing will dull their sharpness. Whatever we are doing, they are ready to reveal their multiplicity of fangs. 02 Now| December Mark Andy Garcia & Lynyrd Paras 02NOW, aside from highlighting the contact points between their works and teasing out the creative threads that they have been pursuing through their latest works, illustrates the oftentimes untold stories of artists in their mutual support, of how these highly relational connections can establish the bedrock for an enduring commitment in the arts. Most of the time, it is a solemn, solitary pursuit, but kinships, such as what Mark Andy Garcia and Lynyrd Paras have made manifest in this show, make it less lonely and less crushing, encouraging one to paint from day to day until those days become months, years, decades—a lifetime.

PAST EXHIBITIONS 2021 Open Trench | January Geovanni Abing In his solo exhibition, Open Trench, Geovanni Abing amplifies how this notion of warfare has permeated our day-to-day lives, from events of great importance to affairs of minimal consequence so long as opposing forces meet and collide. Using a striking visual imagery that is a remix of a variety of elements—art history, video games, military hardware—Abing exposes conflicts of varying scale, “even personal conflicts and struggles.” What he presents are his collaged visions of “the aftermath of conflicts,” redolent with images of ruin, collapse, and devastation. God Bless Our Home | January Dondon Jeresano In his body of work, Ronald “Dondon” Jeresano has been positioning the familiar shanties of the city within the privileged spaces of art and civic institutions as a way to highlight, converse about, and critique their contradictions. This unnerving juxtaposition (“unnerving” because images of poverty so casually co-exist in such hallowed spaces) is once again the governing theme in his latest solo exhibition, God Bless Our Home. Dust | January Nix Puno 2020 saw me learning that charcoal on paper is fragile (more so than graphite). It just sits there loosely, not really binding to the paper. It literally can be swept by the wind. The year also saw how fragile our lives are, as well as the things we often hold on to. A lot of the things we were used to in our lives - some things and places - literally gathered dust because of the pandemic. Disparatis | February Nick Navarro In his solo exhibition, Disparitis, Nick Navarro turns these superstitions on their heads, not to contradict them but to extend their import and tease out other possible associations and meanings. For instance, in the work, “Sa ating pagkabusog ay di na muli tayo makukuntento,” the artist confronts the superstition that warns of sleeping while hungry (or else the soul will escape the body to seek a place where food is abundant and from where it may not be able to return) by asking what if the hunger is for knowledge. Once this hunger is partly assuaged, will the soul have the desire to still return, having the full awareness that knowledge is limitless? Square Meters | February Jonathan Joven Square Meters is Joven’s way of looking back into his former home and how it has shaped him to become the person—and inevitably, the artist—that he is. His observations about the life in the slums allow the viewer to have a glimpse of the desires and dreams of those society seems to have forgotten, as they keep body and soul together under a roof that leaks and reveals a portion of a sky. Alaala | April Christian Culangan | Kim Gaceja Alaala approaches cloth as a the signified and as a signifier. They apply the question of tactile memory, in reverence to who the objects belong to, personal ideography and its significance to the present. Presenting a purview of material connection to hopeful though uncertain futures. Ayaw Ko Na Maging Tao | May Doktor Karayom In this show, Trinidad directs his works toward the release in the reality of an individual due to the stressors and anxious events surrounding them, this is about regaining sanity and rest. Without hesitation, Trinidad focuses on what he decides to create, he uses art as his expression to liberate his deep thoughts. As his art changes on a constant, he finds solace in the fact that his works are apart from each other, where emotions are observed in each piece he lets out. Different concepts and creative thinking always have to be exerted to produce most of his output. 86,400 | July PJ Cabanalan In this solo exhibit, 86,400, arguably his most personal yet, Paul John Cabanalan contemplates the nature of time and how one chooses to live it. The context of the works is the pandemic which, for boon or bane, has set the world on pause and given people a surplus of time to do what they have been putting off, concentrate on the things that matter, and reconnect with the nourishing elements of life. Milk and Tea | August Marrie Saplad Milk and Tea represents the meaning of the words transparent, innocent and meditate. The transparency of the glass reflects a character of being seen through the insides. On the other hand, when thinking of milk, she sees a child ‘s innocence and pureness. It is evident that their intentions are pure at heart. Lastly, when you envision Tea it is something to think about, something that you look forward to like an event in the future or an occasion. Connecting and Disconnecting | September Ciane Xavier Intrigued by the real essence of humanism, transhumanism, and life in general, Ciane Xavier gets to the bottom of her own life experiences and deeply personal emotions to explore and share her perception of human truths. As we live in a world where there are limitations and boundaries, we see in her “Carrying the Weight” and “Dragging Away” sculptures a story that tells the fragility and vulnerability of our being. That as humans, we have flaws and imperfections that lead us to self-discovery. Noon | February Azor Pazcoguin In his solo exhibition, Noon, Azor Pazcoguin proposes that art may fill in the gaps as they provide the necessary function of documentation. In a suite of still lifes and portraits, the artist injects new life to obsolete objects as well as celebrities who have achieved iconic status. Using a monochromatic palette to underscore how these figures are inextricably linked to the past, Pazcoguin brings them back to the scrutiny of contemporary attention, each depicted individually on the canvas, surrounded by gray space, like some kind of icon or holy object. Home Invaders | April Erick Villarruz In the larger of scheme of things, the works of Villarruz align to the growing consciousness of taking care of the planet, as our survival rests upon the continued existence of the rest of creation, not least of which are the plants. “As we sleep, they are still there giving off fresh air for us to breathe,” he says. The word “intruder” in the title is, of course, meant ironically and tenderly: “an intruder we definitely love and completes our comfort zone—the place we call ‘home.’” Banwa| May Jonathan Madeja For the artist, Banwa is microcosm of what’s happening in the Philippines. The majority of the working class are involved in agriculture and fishing, though they are underrepresented in art, the media, and in matters of government and policy. What the artist hopes to achieve is to shine a light on people like those he knew and interacted with from day to day in his island life, fully aware of their dreams, hopes, and desires. “What I also want to convey,” says the artist in the vernacular, “is that life by the sea is never easy and that there are still many stories behind it that most of us still don’t know,” Madeja vows to tell these stories, each exhibit like a chapter in a book, beginning with Banwa. Ugmad | July Michael Delmo There is an element of uncertainty in the dreamland that Michael Delmo has conjured for us in his fourth solo exhibition, Ugmad. Ugmad, a word shared by Cebuano and Hiligaynon alike, often pertains to the verb “to cultivate” as in “to foster growth”, “to raise”, “to work the soil”, or “to domesticate.” It can also stretch itself to mean “to prepare”, “to tame”, “to civilize”, “to accommodate” or “to refine”. All these cognate meanings apply to the precarious state that is common to all the works that comprise the exhibition. Heroine | August Kobusher Kobusher used most of his favorite female cartoon characters, that most of us loved during our childhood. HEROINE is a way for him to pay homage to the women that touched and changed our lives. He is inspired by the same women that are close to our hearts; our mothers, sisters, the one beside you right now, the femme fatale, the vamp, the one that got away, the cool chick, the plain janes, man-eaters, divas, and queens among many others. Eastern Fables | November Tiffany Lafuente In the country, only a handful of artists delve into such 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, the 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. Salt | March Hersley Casero In his solo exhibition, Salt, Hersley Casero traces the contours of the pandemic life not through the usual images associated with it, such as masks and shields, but in a more oblique, metaphorical way. The artist’s symbol of choice is salt: the ubiquitous element present in our bodies as mortal beings and the larger bodies of the world’s oceans; in the food we consume and share as well as in the hulking landscapes our eyes devour in a moment of wonder. Re.Set | April Lawrence Cervantes Reset shows the beauty of the quagmire as his bareness exudes enveloping random eeriness to the viewer in a claustrophobic twist as his story progresses. If Origins focused on the evolving cycles of life, in Take Over, the grim scenario is Nature turned against humans, in fact, it overtook the race by its own consumption leading to our eventual perish. Origins was at the beginning of creation where the plot is reversed in Take Over as people are dissolved and vegetation lush are all that were left. This bleak oversight preoccupies Cervantes’ brushstrokes in Reset as the lopsided world domination in at hand. Humanity is being tipped off the scale. Reinforced | May Noel Elicana In his solo exhibition, Reinforced, Noel M. Elicaña presents what has become his recognizable visual language (a combination of gestural abstraction, symbolism, and dreamlike imagery, which the artist calls “social-surrealism”) in order to capture the inner truth and resolve of an individual as he faces life’s myriad challenges. Though it is easy to read his paintings within the context of the pandemic, Elicaña delves into the more enduring themes of spirituality “reinforced,” to use the title, by the agency of “family, experience, struggle, and faith.” The World That Was | July Japs Antido In his exhibitions, John Paul Antido has been consistently portraying images of Filipiniana, with attention to turn-of-the-century fashions and styles, in vivid colors and highly-defined outlines, evoking nostalgia for the old ways of life. In his solo exhibition, The World That Was, the artist manifests his characteristic figuration, this time further illuminating how the past may serve as a beacon to cast light upon the travails of the present and the uncertainty of the future. SoLACE | September Isko Andrade To refresh and to relax— that is Isko Andrade’s goal as he produced his “SoLace” masterpieces. While he is known for creating dark and deep artworks as previously seen in “Smoldering Refuge” and “Pamilya”, Andrade decided to take on another technique by using whites and light hues of blue and red on this exhibit. SEEDS | November LJ Abola-Sy In this new collection of works by LJ Ablola Sy, she pays homage to these individuals by capturing them in their typical day at work. The images portray their daily grind with a semblance of normalcy, highlighting the uninterrupted performance of their duties despite the ongoing challenges. We see them roaming the streets and manning their usual workplaces, each scene animated by the artist’s characteristic juxtaposition of discrete colors in free forms, resembling stylized drips of paint arranged to produce a map-like appearance. Realize, Real Eyes, Real Lies | March Reynold Dela Cruz Award-winning visual artist Reynold Dela Cruz paints every single day. No day-offs or holidays. An old-timer in the art scene-- a trained worker--who painstakingly strives on a daily wage he foregoes to see a muse for inspiration to create. Like clockwork, he shows up at his studio upstairs from his home as soon as he wakes up. And while taking his morning coffee, he is already mixing his paints. This work ethic adheres regardless if ever he will have an upcoming show or not. Limang Daang Taon | May Archie Oclos 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. Repaso | June Emmanuel Garibay Marking 500 years of Philippine Christianity, the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (better known as the CBCP) selected the theme and slogan “Gifted to give”. The year’s celebrations drew the attention of Emmanuel Garibay, a Filipino social realist and scholar of theology who maintains a critical eye on how religion is organized in the Philippine context. Garibay’s works in this latest exhibition--large scale canvases, portraits on wood and paper--highlight not only how the year’s celebrations hide the extractive and violent colonization that made Christianity possible, but how the institutions that sustain Christianity also miss its underlying messages towards creating a more just and equal society. Extra Chromosome | August Maribel Magpoc Magpoc created Extra Chromosome to increase public awareness about people living with this condition. Down syndrome is a condition in which a person has an extra chromosome in their DNA. The extra copy changes how the baby’s body and brain develop, which causes both mental and physical challenges for the baby. Even when people with Down syndrome might act and have similar features to people without it, each person has a variety of capabilities. An Imaginary View from | September a Synthetic Window Jep Dizon Jep Dizon’s “An Imaginary View from a Synthetic Window,” tells the story of how humans are manipulated by modern reality, to the point that they have forsaken the world that is out there. People, immobilized by the instant life full of glitz and glamour, stay still as time passes them by. And even when the shroud of technology is lifted, only 4 walls and a false window to the outside world are there to welcome each and every one of mankind. Gone are the days of appreciating and savoring moments in life beyond, a life that is filled with lights from above and waves from below. Arbitrary Grounds | November Neil Atienza, David Ryan Viray, Geremy Samala August Lyle Espino, Mikko Baladjay, Art Tevera The show made up of friends who came together to show their arbitrary works of art coming from transferring energies to the ground, the canvas, and the space that surrounds it. Together, these young artists are ready to take over the art world as they demonstrate larger-than-life artworks that not only show colors, creativity, and imagination but depth. Legends | November Pongbayog In these present-day artistic times, it is with no doubt that Pongbayog is one of the sought-after contemporary artists in the country. Pongbayog plays with the balance of lights, shadows, and angles-- creating highly detailed and monochromatic paintings. Much inspired and as an artist himself, Pongbayog attempts to pay tribute to legendary personalities in the art industry by bravely highlighting them in these hyper-realistic works for his 5th solo exhibit. Tranquility | December Mark Lester Espina In his solo exhibition, Tranquility, Mark Lester Espina envisions how this zone of quiet may be manifested by paintings that act as windows into a realm whose optical modulations are set on low. Looking at these works, the viewer engages with spare but meaningful elements, discerning shapes, and patterns with how the pigment has been applied onto the canvas. In the absence of an illustrative outline, these forms look mysterious, fleeting, and elusive, like thoughts about to vanish. Homebound | December Julius Redillas Julius Claveria Redillas is Filipino artist who studied painting at Far Eastern University in Manila and has exhibited his works in various galleries in the country and abroad. Redillas is known for phantasmagorical themes and embellished subjects, this also includes distorting various images. Most of his works are portraits of individuals which he copies from photographs of people he sees online or from a book. His work may appear faceless but viewers can see from the silhouette the glimpse of the identity of the individual in his piece. Surprisingly, his viewers are able to identify the personas remarkably. Revisioning The Breakout | December After Despondency Jayson Cortez 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 the world is emerging from the global scourge, ready as it is to embrace the possibility of a kinder future. Behind The Curtain | December Demi Padua Demi Padua with his latest solo exhibition revisits classicism and infuses it with his pop-symbolist works. Not the customary pastiche works and reiterations; he contextualized the works of the Renaissance and Baroque masters, his narrative is inspired by his realizations and reflections from his late father: man’s mission on earth and the preciousness of life and faith in the divine.

God Bless Our Home - Solo Exhibit Dondon Jeresano Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Feature February 8, 2021 God Bless Our Home - Solo Exhibit Dondon Jeresano Tatler Asia February 2021

ABOUT Art Cube Gallery Established in 2012, Art Cube Gallery maintains a premier exhibition space at the OPVI Centre, Chino Roces Extension, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The gallery has so far mounted more than a hundred art exhibitions involving award-winning and seasoned artists, as well as very promising young painters and sculptors in the Philippine contemporary art scene. It has represented Filipino artists in international art shows in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Germany. The gallery has consistently participated in the annual art events of Art Fair Philippines since its inception, as well as Art Central in Hong Kong for several years. Art Cube provides a platform for talented young artists to showcase their works before an extensive roster of art collectors. It also helps promote the careers of seasoned artists by giving art aficionados a broad access to their works in international art exhibitions. Art Cube collaborates with public institutions, artist associations, and civic organizations by supporting programs that seek to propagate interest in the arts in all levels of society, projects that promote artists’ welfare, and advocacies that extend socio-economic assistance for the underprivileged.