‘Visual Odyssey’: A Playful Exploration of Style and Strangeness

Visual Odyssey, now showing at Gravity Art Space and organized by Angelica So, showcases works from twelve artists using various mediums, each exploring their unique visions. The exhibit dives deep into the idea of creation, allowing them to experiment and explore their styles and ideas.

“The artists play the role of transient beings who embark on an odyssey of realization,” So wrote. “Things may not always be as they seem and sometimes a journey is needed to shed light on hidden truths.”

So drew inspiration from the ancient Greek epic “The Odyssey,” where the protagonist is waylaid by various ordeals on their quest to return home. In their reasoning, “detours and setbacks are sometimes needed to get to the destination.” This exhibit allows artists to exercise that idea of exploration without needing to fear veering from their established norms.

Striking Divergence

As expected from a project with such a broad goal, Visual Odyssey demonstrates the ingenuity and obsessions of the artists featured. The materials range from traditional acrylic paint to fabric tapestries to painted glass. There’s no limitations; the variety of styles matches the freedom suggested by the title and goals of the exhibit. 

One can see this in works like Zuh Dai’s “Gab,” which uses folded glass and acrylic paint to create a multi-colored cartoony work. It also shows up in Jan Sunday’s “Proof of Life 1-2,” both of which use fabric materials and a vintage, custom-made frame to create what appears to be a Biblically-accurate angel.

The works hop from different materials and dimensions, creating an array of color that’s dazzling to see altogether. Bea Aben’s “Soul Space” is a colorful, three-dimensional work made out of well-crafted and painted paper folded on top of each other. 

Patthpiha, meanwhile, molds two tablets and paints close-up portraits for “Fading Memories” and “Pressure.” Both use surreal imagery to commentate on how people today get their complexities flattened. The two protagonists both appear in disturbed states, as one feels their past fade away while the other is forced to play up whatever branding they’ve established online.

Art for Art’s Sake

Art needs no social commentary or use to make it “necessary.” Rather, it stands on its own, a testament to the personhood and individuality of the people who create them. The exhibit showcases a lot of works that project the individuality of these artists. The variety of the works allows viewers to roam through different stylistic obsessions and ideas. 

Some of the artworks just go for unencumbered personal weirdness. Nichole Fern, for example, paints a fluffy dog with bizarre dimensions for “Field Day.” Fickle Friends’ “The Awakening” and “My Shadow, My Friend” really goes for an unreality image, crafting portraits seen through kaleidoscopic lenses. 

Jopet Arias contributed the pentaptych multi-media work, “On Letting Go.” That work shows a combination of lines, colors, and images growing more and more abstract with each painting. But Arias utilizes technology from phone app Artivive so that one can see an interactive image overlaid in some of the works itself. 

These overlaid images, one of which is a man in a chair and another being mold-like lines flickering over the images, shows us a new tech-aided dimension in how we can pursue our works. It does feel unclear what the work is trying to say, but maybe its use of technology to augment the work is statement enough.

Harnessing Our Individuality

Two standouts in the exhibit are “This must be the place” by Paulu Bruselas and Clint Policarpio’s “Panginoon ko ang dagat, ulap, bundok at mga puno.” Both have differing styles—Bruselas has an ‘90s indie-comic watercolor style while Policarpio leans more towards traditional watercolor vibes. But they both comment on a sense of personhood and community that scans personal when staring at the paintings. 

Visual Odyssey traverses in strangeness. The works are appropriately experimental in style and in subject matter. And, like So desired, it gives us a more intimate perspective on the wildness of the artistic mind—and how sometimes getting lost in the craft can make great works.

Related reading: Gravity Art Space’s Artist Talks Demystify the Creative Process

Equitable Design in Architecture: Creating Inclusive Spaces in Practice

Denise de Castro, Principal Architect of DEQA Design Collaborative, believes that designing with equity in mind means starting at the workplace. Values and practices that your studio or office espouse inevitably filter down to the work that you do. Equitable design ensures that people with different needs and different backgrounds are supported through fair access, […]

Why Mixed-Use Living Is Shaping Quezon City’s Urban Future

Across Metro Manila, residential developments are increasingly designed around proximity. As cities grow denser and mobility becomes more complex, new housing is often positioned near transport nodes, commercial districts, and educational institutions. This approach reflects a broader shift in urban planning. Mixed-use environments allow residents to live closer to daily necessities—reducing commute times while supporting […]

Advertisement

Sustainability as the New Luxury at WORLDBEX 2026

Luxury in design is undergoing a quiet shift. Where once luxury was measured primarily through visual opulence, today it is increasingly defined by responsibility—through the way spaces are built, the materials selected, and the impact those decisions leave behind. At the Philippine World Building and Construction Expo (WORLDBEX) 2026, this evolving definition of luxury takes […]

Fisher & Paykel: A Legacy of Innovation and Design Freedom 

For more than nine decades, Fisher & Paykel has approached design with a simple but exacting belief: that the best living environments are those shaped by people, place, and purpose. Rooted in New Zealand and deeply attuned to island and coastal living, the brand’s philosophy centres on quiet performance, material honesty, and appliances that integrate […]

Helm Restaurant

At Helm, dining unfolds as choreography. An open kitchen anchors the room, allowing guests to witness the precision behind its Michelin-starred fine dining menu. Designed by Kevin Nieves of Headroom, the 24-seat restaurant reflects that same discipline in its interior design. Tucked within Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati, Helm brings together culinary recognition and architectural […]

Advertisement

Designing ALT ART 2026 at SMX Manila: Baby Imperial on Building an Art Fair

Exhibition designer Baby Imperial of All At Once shaped the spatial strategy of ALT ART 2026, its largest edition to date. The fair occupied Halls 1 and 2 of SMX Convention Center Manila, expanding in both footprint and ambition. Organized by the ALT Collective—Artinformal, Blanc, The Drawing Room, Galleria Duemila, Finale Art File, MO_Space, Underground, […]