Undaunted by the lack of experience in major art arenas, UP fine arts students arm themselves with youthful fervor and openness to see and express what to them is aesthetically beautiful. In Ethereal Contingencies, on view at West Gallery, West Avenue, from December 2 to 20, each budding artist has the opportunity to show what currently pushes them to create art, and gives art observers a preview of what is to come.
The idea of wonder and awe as centrifugal and timeless in the method of art making is examined, and this is what the students demonstrate in Ethereal Contingencies, ranging from interpreting photographic models to creating new models by hand.
Catalina Africa says that their generation of young artists is ready to take on the challenge, to show their raw yet promising and diverse talent. In her wall-bound work, Africa uses wax and flowers to signify material history, of where these materials came from and what they went through. Filipino-Belgian Francis Commeyne dwells on the unusual, combining images and text to bring forth playful visual commentaries. Cian Dayrit uses spontaneous drawings to depict mythical creatures, discuss faith, and define death in his paintings, letting his imagination and his rendering do all the work. Everyone has his own interpretation and approach to painting, he says of the class effort to draw on the ethereal and the sublime.
Ralph Lumbres’s oil on canvas pieces tackle on the spiritual/mythological theme, using his longtime interest in finding a human connection to all these mythical creatures. Jeona Zoleta uses a shaped wooden canvas to capture a “happy” moment. Zoleta hides such moment in playful, fantasy-like images, teasing viewers to discover what she really means to show. Emmanuel Farol’s 8′ x 2′ acrylic on canvas work is a product of his resourcefulness to depict contemporary society, especially Philippine relations with influential nations.
Paola Germar bases her work on scientific theory, and plays around scientists’ findings on what the world is like, and its place under the sun. While coming from a family of doctors, Germar chose to pursue art studies, realizing it is in drawing where she can be most at ease and be her own person. Caroline Ongpin draws on his great-great grandfather, Damian Domingo, for inspiration in her featured work, which is a telling commentary on how fashion defined class lines. Regina Jardiolin observes how media messages reflect cultural deterioration and desensitization, such as how death is portrayed in popular culture. JR de la Rama’s self-portraits are inspired by Rembrandt’s approach to art.
Also participating in the exhibit are Raymond Carlos, Eunice Lacaste, Aldrin Olaguer, Melvin Pollero, Mark Sanchez, Alden Santiago, Joseph Soliman, and Jerome Suplemento.
Documentation
