Artist Alfred Esquillo tackles the bizarre facts of Filipino life in Dysfunctional, a follow-up to last year’s Tragicomedy, where he began focusing on contemporary culture and politics. Featuring his latest works using oil on sawdust canvas, Dysfunctional will be on view at the West Gallery in SM Megamall from August 12 to 24.
His first one-man show after participating in a traveling exhibition featuring Southeast Asian artists earlier in the year, Esquillo continues to look at the society before him with an open mind and an instinct for satire. “Salong Biyaya” features a man on a bicycle who uses a deformed umbrella to catch as many divine graces from above. An even bigger work is “Hari-harian,” where people race to get to the highest positions of authority. Esquillo voluntarily explains what is on his mind while conceptualizing these works and working on the details throughout the creative process, but he also allows the images to tell their own stories according to how viewers perceive them. For him, the key is in getting the attention of the viewers first, to let them see slices of our culture through his eyes and his detailed brushwork.
Esquillo himself culls ideas from everyday life, and represents them through a variety of playful metaphors. He even manages to include friends as principal figures in his “theatrical” works. “Transbordersome” paints the plight of Filipinos seeking proverbial greener pastures elsewhere, sometimes drastically changing careers or civil status. “Global Racer” sees technology advancement amid disability or shortcoming.
There are varying degrees of dysfunction in each of Esquillo’s images, and while they might be amusing at first glance, there are also distinctly disturbing social and cultural meanings underneath the comical pictures. Struggle, though hiding behind absurd actions, is a basic element in the composition. Esquillo adds that he is starting to enjoy such “struggle,” noticing that he’s even produced more works lately than when he was starting to take up painting seriously. Working on large canvases presents greater challenges as well, something that he is also beginning to appreciate more and more. The more visually ambitious he becomes, the greater the satisfaction he derives out of the endeavor.
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