The many faces of Filipino contemporary art in 4 exhibits

DRAMATIC realist scenes depicting the concepts of honor, loyalty, and justice hang on light gray walls, near abstract, varied-texture representations of the complex human experience. Further into the gallery, the walls are adorned with unique portraits of people with their backs turned and intricate painted recreations of fabric.

These are the works of painters Emman Cardeño, Archie Cayamanda, Dominique Alfonso, and Aubrey Caabay, who are holding simultaneous solo exhibitions at the Provenance Art Gallery.

WEAVING THROUGH THE CROWD
Ms. Caabay has been exhibiting her works since 2012 in multiple galleries. Her works use fabric as a subject, the mix of textures and patterns a striking highlight of her paintings. With the use of resin, she sometimes incorporates real fabric in her works.

Her latest mini solo show, “Weaving Through,” is an example of this. The layers of fabric and flowers that she paints convey movement that catches the eye, tempting viewers to step closer to inspect the remarkable detail.

Meanwhile, the works of Mr. Cardeño in “Yesterday’s Mirage” stand out in their own way, boasting a complex composition of people in stern, texturized environments to represent narratives of personal and national identity.

The artist, the youngest of the group at only 27 years of age, was discovered by the gallery online. His career in art began after graduating with an engineering degree, he told ����ý at the exhibit’s July 13 opening.

“I’m still developing my conceptualization skills. Ang una muna ay narrative, composition, tapos pinupuno ko bago bawasan ang mga hindi kailangan (I first think about the narrative and the composition, then I fill up the whole work before I remove the unnecessary elements),” he said of his process.

“Bago ako nakagawa nito, iyong nagturo sakin magpinta YouTube (Before I reached this level, my teacher was YouTube),” he added.

For Raul Francisco, the gallery’s owner, it’s important to nurture self-taught artists like Mr. Cardeño who are passionate and committed to the craft, to help them distinguish themselves from the crowd of other artists.

“You need to sort of cultivate it. We only suggest things and provide some creative supervision, but the rest is them, their form of art,” he said.

A GLIMPSE OF PHILIPPINE ART
Mr. Alfonso has been cultivating his art for a long time, his impressionist portraits conveying a certain edge as well as elegance.

“Glimpse,” like his previous exhibitions, turns our attention to people’s backs. Viewers are left to ponder the unseen faces, thoughts, and motivations of those whose portraits he has painted, the brushstrokes capturing something hidden.

In “Altered” by Mr. Cayamanda, there is a similar obscuring of the human soul, this time through abstraction.

His paintings contain different portions, some of closeups of the human body contorted into dramatic shapes, some transposed with textured items like a smooth cloth or sharp-angled surfaces.

“The fabric represents the spirit while the geometric surfaces represent the solid matter. Of course, the human figure represents the human,” explained Mr. Cayamanda. “I aim for each piece to fulfill different aspects of a person.”

He added that artists naturally evolve, making him proud of his current works. “Hindi kami nananatili sa iisang sulok. Nagbabago din base sa experience, sa pinagdadaanan (We never stay in one corner. Our styles change based on experience, based on what we go through).”

As an owner of an upscale gallery, Mr. Francisco explained that curating works for a certain demographic doesn’t mean less variety, with the four artists and their mini solo shows as proof that the art scene is ever-changing.

“We’re all somewhat global citizens. We may not travel, but we’re fully aware of what’s going on in the world through social media, and that influences their work. Filipino contemporary art is amazing because we have such an interesting history — colonization, Catholicism, regional diversity,” he said.

“It’s a breeding ground for creativity.”

“Weaving Through,” “Yesterday’s Mirage,” “Glimpse,” and “Altered” are on view throughout July at Provenance Art Gallery, on the 2^nd floor of Shangri-La the Fort, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. — Brontë H. Lacsamana