Arts & Culture

‘Places Within’ Reflect the Emotional Resonance of Our Environment

|
By 
Elle Yap

While discussions about community often center on people—our neighbors and social connections—Vinyl on Vinyl’s newest exhibit, Places Within, shifts the focus to the physical spaces that define our surroundings. This group show puts our communities’ setting at the forefront, with the artists looking to capture a sense of place. They highlight how buildings, greenery, and other factors contribute to our sense of belonging or alienation with the world around us.

Four works displayed at Vinyl on Vinyl for "Places Within."
Four works displayed at Vinyl on Vinyl for “Places Within.”

“It is a visual exploration of the invisible threads that tie us to the spaces we occupy,” the exhibit write-up said. “[This ranges] from the comforting familiarity of home to the disorientating vastness of unfamiliar terrain.” 

How Our World Affects Our Sense of Self

Places Within emphasizes the importance and ephemerality of spaces through multiple mediums. A variety of paintings and mixed media artworks litter the exhibition space as the artists attempt to highlight the different important aspects of community. 

While not necessarily melancholic, the works here dig down on the feeling of coziness and longing. It focuses on those feelings and how they feed the need to find our own place. These artists portray the world with different perspectives; some of it are city-centric, while others place nature at center. 

Luwalhati Vergara-Yoder’s three works show a nature-centric approach to her work, illustrating forests, oceans, and townships from a godlike perspective. Other works, like Aina Valencia’s “And Everything in it,” dip into abstraction to depict nature’s wilder growths and sprouts. 

Two works by Luwalhati Vergara-Yoder.
Two works by Luwalhati Vergara-Yoder.
"There's Richness in Scarcity" by Luwalhati Vergara-Yoder.
“There’s Richness in Scarcity” by Luwalhati Vergara-Yoder.
Regina Reyes’ “Thoughts and Musings” for "Places Within."
Regina Reyes’ “Thoughts and Musings” for “Places Within.”
Noelle Varela’s “Still and all.”
Noelle Varela’s “Still and all.”
Aina Valencia’s “And Everything in it" for "Places Within."
Aina Valencia’s “And Everything in it” for “Places Within.”

Meanwhile, Noelle Varela’s “Still and all” combines acrylic paint, sawdust, and a three-dimensional recreation of sprouting leaves to capture an early-morning feeling of openness. Regina Reyes’ “Thoughts and Musings” contrasts that openness with something more targeted, stitching a question about dreams into the very fabric of her jungle-themed canvas. 

City Spaces and Longing

In depicting cities, some of the artists featured in Places Within straddle the line between wistful and nostalgic. These paintings portray the interiors of a home, showcasing how our rooms contribute to the feeling of calm in ourselves.

At least one of the artists, Su Yenne, depicts the pandemic in their mixed media works, whether in the midst of doing chores or in a bedroom doing nothing. Bea Batungbacal’s works, meanwhile, illustrate the feeling of living in a cramped apartment, surrounded by buildings. 

"Emotional Hi-jack, Pandemic 2021-24" by Su Yenne.
“Emotional Hi-jack, Pandemic 2021-24” by Su Yenne.
"Matsuri: Wishes, Pandemic" by Su Yenne.
“Matsuri: Wishes, Pandemic” by Su Yenne.
Bea Batungbacal's "Window" paintings.
Bea Batungbacal’s “Window” paintings.
"I Was Here" by min for "Places Within" at Vinyl on Vinyl.
“I Was Here” by min for “Places Within” at Vinyl on Vinyl.

There’s a sense of claustrophobia in both artist’s contributions, but also the togetherness that coexists within the closeness of the space. It feels as though the works challenge viewers to redefine freedom in a space that doesn’t allow for much privacy. In an area that crams so many humans together, what does it mean to tether one’s self into a place?

“The works serve as a mirror, reflecting the emotional resonance of spaces and revealing the deep connections between place and person, showing how these bonds influence every facet of our lives,” the write-up said.

Places Within comes together as a collage of images and ideas of people seeking, finding, and defining themselves by the world they live around in. It portrays the complex feelings of melancholy, longing, and peace which situates people in their special spaces. Where we feel comfortable enough to show our emotions is what will shape us in the end.

Photos by Elle Yap.

Related reading: ‘Horror Vacui’: Two Artists Transform Personal Anxieties into Escapism

The Evolving Sanctuary of Michelle Hui Lao.

The Evolving Sanctuary of Michelle Hui Lao

Beyond brick and mortar, homes possess a hidden soul—the ability to morph into living narratives. They are silent witnesses to the lives of their inhabitants. Such is the case of fashion stylist Michelle Hui Lao’s home, a dynamic space that reminds her and her son of the changes they have encountered in various stages of […]

Mid-Century Marvel: Nazareno x Reyes' Masterful Curation.

Mid-Century Marvel: Nazareno x Reyes’ Masterful Curation

A couple, who loves collecting furniture and books, deserves a residence that reflects their discerning taste. The home needs to exude that fine balance between style and substance and a marriage of form and function, aesthetic and meaningfulness.  Their polished design sensibilities prompted Architect Anthony Nazareno of Nazareno Architecture + Design and Interior Designer Grace […]

A Bauhaus-styled home in Dessau, Germany. Photo by Gunnar Klack.

Bauhaus Movement Decried by Right-Wing Politicians in New Motion

The far-right German political party Alternative for Germany (AfD) submitted a motion calling for the “critical appraisal” of the early 20th century Bauhaus movement, claiming that the movement led to “impersonal architecture” that was detrimental to society.  The motion, entitled “The Wrong Path of Modernism,” comes as Germany plans to celebrate the 100th year anniversary […]

Perfect Fit: Ling Ling King's Spacious Home Suits Her Just Right.

Perfect Fit: Ling Ling King’s Spacious Home Suits Her Just Right

Banaba Residence, the home of Ling Ling King, is a renovated home that defies typical residential norms. This was no ordinary design project, as the house was already a standing structure, waiting for a revamp that would go with King’s changing needs. To take on the project, King tapped Anthony Nazareno, Principal Architect and Designer […]

Designing Mike Lim's Ultra-Chic Condominium.

Designing Mike Lim’s Ultra-Chic Condominium

The 180-square meter condominium of entertainment writer Mike Lim, the man behind the celebrity rumors blog Fashion Pulis, is a masterful blend of contemporary elegance and classic sophistication. It showcases how personal evolution and global experiences can shape a living space into something truly extraordinary. Designed with a keen eye for both aesthetics and functionality, […]

Yabu Pushelberg, led by George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, working on scale models.

Delving into the Design of Ayala Land Premier’s Park Villas with Yabu Pushelberg

Living in Makati means being a stone’s throw away from business centers, shopping malls, restaurants, and commercial and lifestyle hubs. With Park Villas, you get all that and more. Located across the Ayala Triangle gardens, this new Makati address from Ayala Land Premier, Ayala Land’s premium residential brand, elevates city living. It offers not just […]

Download this month's BLUPRINT magazine digital copy from:
Subscribe via [email protected]