‘Lakbay: Voyages Into the Absolute’ and the Legacy of Nena Saguil

Lakbay: Voyages Into the Absolute provides a recontextualization of artist Nena Saguil in our modern sociopolitical context. The exhibit, organized by The Art House, includes some never-before-seen works by Nena Saguil, a pioneering figure in Filipino abstract art. Saguil did much of her work abroad in Paris. In this exhibit, she becomes a vehicle to discuss the Philippine diaspora experience as it relates to art. 

Lakbay features nine Filipino artists based outside of the Philippines. Together they pay tribute and re-evaluate Saguil’s legacy in the pantheon of Filipino history through this connection. But more importantly, it opens up further conversations about the Philippine diaspora experience and the way these experiences fit into Filipino history and culture as a whole. 

Exhibit curator Marika Constantino said that they had to give crash courses to the artists about Nena Saguil so that they could appreciate her contributions to the art world. Constantino felt it was important to connect these artists to local culture to better understand their roots. 

“In relation to the arts, we do recognize that there are a number of artists, Filipino artists, who are establishing their practices abroad,” she said. “These are important people for us to learn from or for us to know about. It’s a two-way thing. And they also have this compelling need to know more about their roots. So, that exchange is important.”

The Philippine Diaspora and Filipino Art

Lakbay: Voyages Into the Absolute assembles the following artists for the exhibit: Jana Benitez, Rose Cameron, Kim Cruz, Lizza May David, Wayne Lacson Forte, Marissa Gonzalez, Racso Jagarap, Kulay Labitigan, and Jaclyn Reyes. Constantino relays the importance of highlighting the voices of the diaspora in the Filipino art scene. 

“ I think, for any person who identifies himself or herself as part- or full-Filipino, we need to hear their voices. It’s not up to us to define who they are or where they’re supposed to be,” Constantino said. “For us, as the audience, I think it’s [very] important that we’re open to hear what they’re trying to say and hear what those voices are saying.”

The works submitted find inspiration in the abstraction that Nena Saguil pioneered, while capturing the diaspora experience of modern artists. Kim Cruz, for example, was inspired by Saguil’s monochromatic works for her contribution to the exhibit. 

Artists like Jana Benitez and Lizza May David utilizes similar gestural and conceptual nature to their works to discuss their personal experiences as Filipinos in another land. Kulay Labitigan, meanwhile, utilized fabrics and boxes to mimic balikbayan boxes. These boxes and the items we keep from them allow us to feel closeness with the people left behind. 

Connecting Nena Saguil to Today’s Society

Altogether, these works speak to the nature of art as a communication tool between cultures. It’s especially pertinent for the people who were separated from the culture itself. Nena Saguil, in this regard, becomes an inspiration and a bridge to find these cultural similarities. 

It’s why the concept of Lakbay: Voyages Into the Absolute was so important to The Art House founder Carlo Pineda. He said that they cold-called and sent proposals to some of these artists due to their belief in the concept. Pineda saw this as a way of inviting Filipino artists abroad to find and reconnect with their local community.

“What’s very important for us is [that] we hope that we can resonate to different Filipinos all over the world that are living [in] this diaspora,” Carlo Pineda said. He sees this as an expansion of The Art House’s goals of creating community engagement with people. But this time, it’s aimed towards artists on an international level.

“ Because what we want to create is a movement and an ecosystem that all these collaborative partners form part of that equation to make it stronger and stronger,” he said. “That’s the message that we want to get out there, that you can join this movement and you [can] be part of that community. And being part of that community, everyone there in that community is there to help each other.”  

Lakbay: Voyages Into the Absolute opens on February 8 at the mezzanine of Discovery Primea. 

Related reading: The Art House Curates Sustainable Murals in Circuit Makati

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