Art Enthusiast, Daniel Lampa, is thrilled to be supporting ground-breaking artists with new modes of art markings and new ways of engaging diverse audiences, which makes creative thinkers tremendously excited for this week’s viewing.
SIBOL by Anton Mallari
Running until July 31, 2021 at West Gallery, 48 West Avenue, Quezon City
At a young age, Anton Mallari was already inclined into the arts. The artist, well known for his still life pieces and portraits, would buy art materials from his earnings as a henna tattoo artist and sketch portraits to practice painting. The oil lines, which are a permanent detail in his works, are inspired by his job as a henna tattoo artist.
His art is distinctly influenced by the tradition of Western classical painting, ranging from the Italian Renaissance to German Expressionism. He was particularly inspired by Munch, Dali, and Raphael and has used images from the masterpieces of these artists in his previous works. He has since exhibited his works at Big & Small Art Gallery, Black Gallery, West Gallery. In 2016, he had a solo show entitled, Kasalanan, under Richard Koh Fine Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Mallari’s current show, Sibol, shows oil portraits of feminine subjects with botanical elements, which is abundant in the artist’s hometown, Baguio City. He made use of these elements to symbolize change and hope. He is set to have another solo show at Blanc Gallery scheduled this year.
THRESHOLD by Luis Antonio Santos
Running until July 24, 2021, at Silverlens Gallery at 2263, Chino Roces Avenue Extension, Makati
For Quezon city-based painter, Luis Antonio Santos, his artworks are usually about his memories and their contradictions. Usually working with oil paintings on canvas, he has been increasingly working with silkscreen printing as a painting tool.
He had his first show back in 2009 at Mo_Space, followed by solo exhibitions at West Gallery, Underground Gallery, Drawing Room, Blanc Gallery, Finale Art File, MO_Space, Drawing Room, and Silverlens Gallery. He has also been included in several group exhibitions in Manila, United Kingdom, Ode to Art in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. It is also important to note that he has been shortlisted for the Fernando Zobel Prize for Visual Arts at the Ateneo Art Awards twice (2014, 2015) and nominated for the Signature Art Prize, Singapore Art Museum (2018).
Santos’ current show, Threshold, features four beautiful, hyper-realistic oil paintings and two Screen-printed photographs on a transparent sheet of framed plexiglass.
SHARE LOCATION by James Clar
Running until July 24, 2021 at Silverlens Gallery at 2263, Chino Roces Avenue Extension, Makati
A Filipino-American light and media artist, the work of James Clar mainly explores the conceptual and narrative potential of light and technology. In his lifelong quest for his art, he studied Film and Animation at New York University, where he then received his Masters from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunication Program. He was also an artist in residence at Eyebeam Atelier, New York, in 2003, the FedEx Institute of Technology/Lantana Projects in Memphis in 2006, the Mana Contemporary BSMT Residency, New Jersey in 2017, and Dynatrace, Austria in 2021. He had a Studio in Dubai From 2006 until 2012 and, with his talent, he quickly became a part of the arts and culture scene in the city. In 2012, he moved back to his studio in New York and stayed until 2020. In 2021, James opened a studio in Manila. His artworks have been part of art exhibits in Manila, Dublin, New York, Istanbul, Barcelona, and Seoul.
Notes about the contributor, Daniel Lampa
Art enthusiast and into fashion, French culture, mid-century modern design, Daniel Lampa spends a lot of his time curating his home in Manila and LA. He lives with his three dogs, Coco, Yohji and Junya.
