There’s a sense of idealism found in Resolutions, curated by Yul Servo Nieto and organized by Mark Nilo Odiaman for The Art District Escolta. It’s the nature of the New Year’s resolution, to find the ideal image one rallies around. But it also gives us an idea of what each of the 16 artists perceive as an ideal image, something that highlights the type of realities that people deal with.
“Resolutions offers a curated collection of imagined realities and reveries that reflect the artists’ creativity and optimism for the future,” Lorraine Datuin’s write-up for the exhibit said. “Some works are highly figurative, presenting vivid, high-definition depictions of nature, while others take on more abstract forms, offering deconstructed elements.
“Whether rendered in high or low resolution (pixelated), each piece serves as a personal reflection of the artist’s vision for what’s to come.”
There’s a sense of hopefulness and creativity to be found in the artworks displayed here. It’s not necessarily the optimal future or the ideal image they’re showing; rather, the paintings take the reality of our country today and find new layers of optimism to build upon.
Some of the most interesting works take today’s context and filter a sense of elation through it. Ayen Quias’ three sculptures for the project, for example, utilizes the look of favelas and shantytowns to assemble a colorful rendition of the closeness of city life. It acknowledges that people who live in the city are often crowded into each other, and yet it also finds the happy humanity that exists in those areas.
At times, many of the other paintings here attempt to create an Amorsolo-esque mood of ideal provincial life. Some of the paintings, like “Moonlit Waterscape” by Daryl Ajero or Fernando Sena’s “Peaceful Path,” show off the beauty of the country’s natural environment.
It can come off as a little bit too idealistic, not acknowledging the struggle that exists in those spaces. But also, artists like Ely Tablizo or Jun Rocha balance that idealism out with depictions of people at work, never minimizing the labor that comes into these jobs.
The exhibit certainly works best when the artwork feels more personal. For example, Noel Nicholas’ “Hard Driven” and “Borderless” depict what appears to be people on their daily commute. But there’s a state of expressive detachment here that atomizes feelings of alienation one might undergo in such a tiring daily ritual.
In that same line of thought, Bing Siochi’s “Mother and Child” depicts a woman cradling a baby against a colorful, fiery background of orange and red that adds awe and fear to the simple image. It feels like danger, looming over this tender, parental image in front of us.
Two intriguing works in the group exhibit are “Add to Cart” and “People Power” by Nicole Asares. Both paintings utilize a unique, 3D-printing-esque method of strings woven on top of each other to create its figures and background.
But more than the method, it feels like a showcase of multiple intersecting lives coming together as a whole. They all coexist together in this environment, and it reminds viewers that resolutions go beyond ourselves. They expand outwards, to the community, each personal resolution of each figure building into a potential for a better society for everybody.
As a whole, Resolutions provides audiences with an effective and appreciative look at different artists taking stock of their present and looking forward to the future. However differently we all see what’s coming, the exhibit takes us into these 16 artists’ minds to understand the perspectives that fuel their works.
“The exhibition invites viewers to explore the artists’ motivations—whether it’s the pursuit of passions, the expansion of horizons, or personal development,” Datuin wrote. “A clear vision can take one far, but even a small spark of inspiration, when acknowledged and acted upon, has the power to move mountains and create lasting change.”
Resolutions is open at The Art District Escolta until February 8.
Photos by Elle Yap.
Related reading: ‘Manila x Bohol’ Showcases Creativity Outside of the Capital
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