‘In The Spirit of Things…’: Mia Herbosa Showcases Collection of Recent Works

For Mia Herbosa, her newest exhibit In The Spirit of Things… doesn’t need to revolve around a thematic idea. Instead, her show at ArtistSpace in Makati functions as a way of cataloging her life today, a summary of the great people she’s met since her last exhibit.

“My theme is actually that I don’t have a theme, except the days of my life, the people who are there at that time, and the flowers that I’m seeing. That’s the theme, it’s like a journal,” she said. “Every show, it’s like a journal of my life.”

In The Spirit of Things… collects different portraits made by the painter between 2022 and 2024. A few of the paintings date back as far as 2010, but most of these works—portraits, still lifes, and abstractions—were made recently by Herbosa. 

Portraits

Herbosa built a reputation over the decades for her lifelike portraits. That skill is in full display here as she showcases her subjects in different states of calm, evoking the various ways one can feel serene in our world today. Discussing these paintings, she said that while she doesn’t have a signature style, her personal touch is still all over the portraits. 

“We hardly had Asian models through my 20 years of studies [in New York],” she said. “In a way, I’m fulfilling that desire I had to share what I learned with that which is truly Filipino—my friends and clients who I paint today. I think people tend to know it’s my work right away.  There is a specificity about how I light them and how they look. You know I’m also present in each of those paintings.”

Still Lifes

More than her portraits, however, her still life paintings evoke a personal touch that makes it uniquely hers. The still life offers a provincial perspective regardless of the location of the objects being portrayed. She captures a sense of slowness that allows viewers to relish the image and its surroundings better. 

“My mood is changed with every place,” she said. “I seem almost a different person inside because the influence a certain place has on you is large. It is an osmosis of sorts. There is always learning involved and growing. A deeper understanding of life as you experience it.”

These still lifes depict different places, sometimes in drastically different ways from each other. She said that the lighting situation in the Philippines, the United States, and Europe differ significantly, and it affects the way her work comes out. 

“Here, it is a harsh and blinding tropical light, which is also very dynamic. Everything looks different in this light. Many times sunspots and sun dappling dominate,” she said. “Over on the East Coast, the light is more constant.”

Expanding into New Horizons

A unique thing for this exhibit is Mia Herbosa’s inclusion of abstract paintings. It’s something that’s always been a part of her shows, she said, but recently she’s been experimenting more with the genre to see how she can explore these ideas even further and branch out from portraits. 

“Usually talaga, in these shows I’d have a small abstract [painting displayed] kasi inside me, I feel like I have abstract concepts,” she said. “I think now, in terms of progress, since I’m getting closer to my 60s, I feel like maybe the next shows I’ll have [more] playful abstraction.”

Some of these abstracts utilize the names of places in the Philippines and in the United States as their titles. Others appear to be vaguely connected to Herbosa’s mindset during different times. They capture this wild, frenetic energy uniquely different from the serene landscapes and portraits being shown here. 

In the Spirit of Things… captures the interests and diversions of an artist still at the peak of their powers. The exhibit also suggests that Mia Herbosa may not be done with her growth and evolution; deep inside her are more artistic ideas to pursue, and more interesting artistic journeys ahead.

Photos by Elle Yap.

Related reading: A Portrait of an Artist: Mia Ongpin Herbosa

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