Resurrect, Jethro Jocson’s newest exhibit, is on display at Alliance Française de Manille from July 4 to 24. Jocson’s works portray strange, illusionary ideas in stark backgrounds. Many of the paintings depict these fairy tale-like characters in hazy worlds, staring curiously at gigantic origami shapes like paper boats and airplanes looming in the distance.
“Subjects are constructed through the lens of vibrant colors, textured spaces and origami-esque forms alongside some medieval characters that make their appearances throughout the fairytale stories we grew up with,” the exhibit write-up said.
Resurrect utilizes what Jocson calls a “minimalist-surrealist pattern.” Some of the paintings surround its figures with a multicolored aura made with watercolor. Most of the paintings, however, have a smokey, dreamlike texture around them, done with acrylic paint and dominated by a singular color.
The stylistic influence that Jocson employs creates a simplified, dreamlike environment that focuses on the subjects rather than the surroundings.
“I don’t work on a maximalist approach and composition. [My approach is] used to simplifying forms, subjects, symbols. I used to simplify it to create more mind-bending solutions to your experience,” he said.
Different characters populate Jocson’s paintings, which he calls “fairy tale” characters. Knights and nuns, birds and cats, skulls and plague doctors inhabit the surreal world he creates and tether us to the familiarity of our childhood.
“[How] would I express the world of every moment that people [exist] in our contemporary reality? [By going] back to that childlike images, subjects, and symbols, to create freedom to express something that would create solutions to the problem of our cultural ways,” Jocson said.
The importance of childhood in defining the self is a key observation in these works. It revolves around characters growing up and bravely facing their problems, as if to suggest that bridging the gap between adulthood and childhood allows us the freedom to explore ourselves in the present day.
Two repeating motifs appear in the paintings: origami figurines like paper airplanes or boats, and balloons. Both symbolize flight and freedom, and the paper airplanes represent the need to be able to go with the flow in life, just like a paper airplane whooshes around in any direction.
“Resurrect is all about that. The metamorphosis of us being human, of how we exist in this world, and how we capture those moments. [This is] now [what] I am sharing, those visual images of being [a] child and on a whimsical pattern,” he said.
Jocson even demonstrated this with a performance during the exhibit opening. He utilized tape to create an outline of a paper plane on the floor, before giving the audience paper planes to let loose around the exhibit space—all to the sound of jazz music in the background.
Jethro Jocson’s Resurrect imparts an always timely lesson to remember and cultivate love for the inner child. It is, more than anything, a reminder that the brave characters of our past need not be stuck in our subconscious; that they can help guide us in our journey today to find meaning in how we live our lives.
Related reading: Jomike Tejido’s ‘Manifesto of Play’ Taps into the Inner Child
Contemporary design refers to the constantly evolving design trends of today. With the power to design our built environments, architects have been experimenting with various architectural approaches. Whether that is through unconventional forms or the integration of smart technologies, BluPrint lists down Filipino architects who are defining contemporary architecture. Deo Alam Architect Deo Alrashid Alam […]
In the Philippines, adaptive reuse gained traction during the 1970s with the rise of conservation and environmental preservation movements. It offered an architectural solution that reuses existing spaces to fit modern needs. Across the country, several projects demonstrate how this approach is being applied—transforming heritage structures into active spaces for culture, hospitality, and community life. […]
From residential spaces to civic structures, lighting dictates the mood of a space. It controls the visual dynamics of an interior, serving as a guiding tool that highlights key design elements, including materials and textures. Related Reading: Lampscaping: How to Light up Your Home like a Pro Regulating the Mood: Natural and Artificial Light in […]
More and more Filipinos are flocking to condominium communities. Often tucked within busy city centers, condo living acts as a small respite from urban chaos. Faced with the challenge of transforming a cramped condominium into a warm living space, BluPrint lists condo interior design ideas that can maximize each square foot of small spaces. Purposeful […]
Modern bathrooms are no longer purely functional spaces. Increasingly, they are being designed as environments that support cleanliness, ease, and quiet restoration within the home. As daily life becomes more demanding and health awareness continues to rise, homeowners are beginning to expect more from the spaces where daily rituals begin and end. For architects and […]
From the moment a diner steps through the door, each detail shapes how a meal is experienced. Restaurant design has evolved, with architects and culinary professionals collaborating to create built spaces that are as intentional as the menu itself. The spatial atmosphere acts as an additional ingredient that can define the culinary experience. Taupe and […]
