Kapitolyo Art Space, located in Capitol Commons near Shaw Boulevard, Pasig City, celebrated the opening of its new building with Projekt Kapitolyo. This event, beyond the commemoration of a new exhibition space, functions as a gathering for a social cause. Projekt Kapitolyo brings together the artworks of 102 different artists as a showcase of contemporary […]
‘Rituals of Recovery’: Honing into the Practices of Self-Care
Shannah Orencio’s Rituals of Recovery is her new exhibit at the Vinyl on Vinyl Gallery, debuting on May 4, 2024. Orencio paints flowers in different perspectives, focusing on creating a colorful mirage of flora piled on top of each other.
The exhibit, as described by Carlomar Daoana, provides a view of the natural world that embodies the needs of humanity well: routine and the need for recovery in discovering the meaning of the rituals we create.
“Caring for something—or somebody—is a species of ritual,” they said. “After all, to attend to the well-being of another living being takes time, repetition, attentiveness. This attentiveness to another being—to fully exercise one’s capacity to care—is a ritual of recovery.”
Flowery Effects
The paintings render this collage-like look where they seem to exist on top of the other in a messy compression. Orencio reportedly would take the flowers that she pruned in her garden and would use that disconnected chaotic array of flora as inspiration/models for the artworks she created.
In a strange way, the works present a careful craft not just in the art of painting, but in gardening. One has to be deliberate when pruning stems, leaves, and flowers so that it looks aesthetically cohesive without affecting the growth of the plant for the future. And one doesn’t just throw away the leftovers. It can be recycled to become compost that returns its nutrients back to the environment.
Rituals of Recovery posits that even these pruned portions serve a wider purpose of precision in nature. The way that Orencio paints them—stacked up on top of each other, wrinkled but vibrant—presents itself not as detritus but as an explosion of nature’s variety, beautiful even in its cutoff state.
The oil on canvas works also add a sense of dimension to the flowers. The technique shown in Orencio’s brushstrokes gives the flowers a sense of regal quality even as they appear scattered along the canvas. It pulses with life even in death.
A Documentation of Responsibility
Daoana in their write-up said that Orencio’s work highlights the importance of routine as a way of cleansing and keeping our internal spaces and thoughts to be at peace with each other. They compare the pruning of the flowers to a morning walk or a cup of coffee: practices that keep our spiritual minds grounded.
In that sense, it’s curious to see Rituals of Recovery as a way of documenting the byproduct of our practices to find ourselves again, day in and day out. It feels like seeing parts of ourselves that we’ve outgrown, parts of ourselves that we don’t need anymore despite their usefulness in the past.
It highlights the beauty of those outmoded parts. But it also shows the necessity of pruning them: these flowers are overgrown, aging, and preventing it from achieving its full potential. It’s the gardener’s responsibility to ensure that these parts don’t overwhelm and keep the plant from adapting.
Rituals of Recovery gives us a visual metaphor of the need to create daily practices that calm our interior selves to continue our proper growth as human beings. It’s also a beautiful documentation of nature as a whole, that lovely things can exist even in the byproducts of nature as a whole. Nothing is wasted, and nobody is a waste.
Related reading: How “Malasakit” is Future-Proofing Philippine Design Culture
BluPrint’s 2024 in Art yearend series seeks to highlight exhibits that deal with the complexities of womanhood and gender politics in society today. The fight for gender parity and equal rights for women rages on, whether it’s on issues on body autonomy, reproductive rights, or even transgender rights. Womanhood—the concept, its relations to the patriarchy, […]
The beauty of a fine dining experience and the comfort of a laid-back ambiance intersect at Bolero. This restaurant in Bonifacio Global City offers modern European fare in an environment where you can simply be yourself. “It’s a place where, [when] you step in, you feel a bit flattered by the architecture, by the food, […]
VLands, styled √L@nDs, is the new exhibit by Lena Cobangbang at West Gallery. The work stands as a colossal sprawl of artwork Cobangbang made as a critique of modern land use issues. It derives its name from real estate mogul and former senator Manny Villar. Considered the richest man in the Philippines, his wealth comes […]
For Spirit Ecologies, artist Catalina Africa explores her ever-deepening and complicated relationship with nature. The artist relocated to Baler from Metro Manila as a way of seeking a peaceful existence. Through this exhibit, she found herself reflecting on her experiences a decade after that decision. Her move to Baler appears to have forced her to […]
Beyond the tantalizing aromas and delectable flavors, the best restaurants know how to create an unforgettable dining experience. This year, a select few have taken interior design to new heights, transforming their spaces into works of art. Restaurants across the country transformed their interiors into captivating spaces. BluPrint explores the Architecture of Dining with our […]
Download this month's BLUPRINT magazine digital copy from:
Subscribe via [email protected]