Mariano Ching discusses faith, religion, change, fears, and hope in life in We Are Not Afraid of You and We Will Beat Your Ass, which is on view at West Gallery in SM Megamall from February 7 to 19.
Taking inspiration from American indie rock band Yo La Tengo’s critically acclaimed 2006 album, “it’s [also] about my love for rock and roll and 70’s kitsch,” explains Ching. Featuring images of abandoned Philippine urban landscapes and seascapes filled with morphed aliens or monsters among other detritus of human life, the works on acrylic depict a post-apocalyptic scenario. Whether on a 6 feet by 8 feet canvas or a 19 inches by 14 inches paper, the images, ranging from the vaguely familiar to the randomly bizarre, are intended to deliver the same enthralling effect on the viewer. They are open to interpretation, and each viewing experience is unique.
“These are part of a series of works that I have been doing since last year. But the concepts are an ongoing fascination since my student days,” says Ching, who has found a way to merge popular ideas with extraordinary characters and contexts. Such confidence and fearlessness in which he uses the visual medium is one reason why there is always something new to admire or think about when seeing Ching’s works.
And as Ching continues to explore this technique, expect more visually intriguing configurations in the future. “I think it can lead to many more possibilities. I just want to get better through time.”
A CCP Thirteen Artists Award recipient in 2006, Ching hopes to keep on putting together images that tug at the senses and boggle the mind. He graduated from the University of the Philippines and is a painter, book illustrator, graphic artist, and a Mombusho-Japanese Foundation scholar who attended Kyoto City University of Fine Arts in Japan from 2002 to 2004.
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