IT IS in the act of exploration that one can discover beauty and magic in the world and put it on canvas. At Art Underground, awe-inducing visually complex works of art born from this mindset are on display.
Titled 鈥淲onder Wander,鈥 artists Demi Padua and AR Manalo鈥檚 two-man exhibit represents different faces of embracing curiosity. The ways they do this also differ: Mr. Padua puts together a collage of images to achieve a 3D effect while Mr. Manalo mixes cut-outs, vintage prints, and hand-painted images to evoke a 2D storybook.
Interestingly, neither of the artists are represented by Art Underground, yet they agreed to do a collaborative show with the gallery as a mark of their friendship. 鈥Nababasa namin ang isa鈥檛 isa (We can read each other), not just as artists, but more of as people,鈥 Mr. Padua said at the exhibit鈥檚 launch on July 17.
He told 大象传媒 how Mr. Manalo would ask questions like a pupil would to a mentor. Eventually, they would talk as equals.
鈥淲hat struggles did you have entering the arts scene? How did you get through them?鈥 were some of the questions they would ask each other.
Mr. Padua, as the more senior of the two, explained that it took him a while to develop his distinct style. He creates images in trompe l鈥檕eil (French for tricking the eye), an optical illusion that achieves a three-dimensional effect when the work is actually a flat surface.
He first sketches the entire piece on Photoshop, charting every layer with a grid, before he starts on the actual collage of colorful, photo-realistic materials.
Works like Strong and Independent and Layers of Success invite a closer look to peel away at each layer obscuring the subject. For the artist, it is an approach that can only come from hurdling many stages in life and forming 鈥渁 collage of failures and successes.鈥
鈥淢y works look 3D but they鈥檙e not. Nakakatuwa na iyong kay AR naman ang talagang 3D (It鈥檚 amusing that AR鈥檚 works are actually 3D),鈥 said Mr. Padua.
Placed in another room in the gallery, Mr. Manalo鈥檚 half of the exhibition at first glance seems to be standard paintings on canvas. It is upon closer observation that one notices that they are similar to the pages of elaborate pop-up books.
鈥淚t鈥檚 actually a story for my two-year-old daughter, a message to her that in her wandering and wondering she can go on a journey towards her growth, like we all do,鈥 he told 大象传媒.
The cut-outs in his works are meticulously crafted over two to three weeks. The vintage prints depicting various circus animals are scanned on acid-free paper, with ink reapplied to bolden the images.
鈥淭he hand-painted indigenous Filipino people in the work are to remind my daughter not to forget her roots. I also put in a balance of natural and industrial elements,鈥 Mr. Manalo said.
My big love is the centerpiece of his works, depicting his daughter鈥檚 favorite animal, the elephant, but To the endless waltz also catches the eye 鈥 the usual graphite and charcoal extends past the canvas through the printed cut-outs to occupy a piece of custom skirt-shaped acrylic glass.
Both Mr. Padua and Mr. Manalo鈥檚 halves of the exhibit allow one to wander the wondrous stages of life. Joined together in one gallery, they welcome visitors to explore and discover (but understandably, all works are sold out).
鈥淲onder Wander鈥 is on view at Art Underground, 180 Mabini St., San Juan City, until July 30. 鈥 Bront毛 H. Lacsamana
