Arts & Culture

‘Rituals of Recovery’: Honing into the Practices of Self-Care

May 16, 2024
|
By 
Elle Yap

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. 

Shannah Orencio's "Rituals of Recovery" exhibit view. Photo by Elle Yap.
Shannah Orencio’s “Rituals of Recovery” exhibit view. Photo by Elle Yap.
A corner of Shannah Orencio's "Rituals of Recovery" exhibit. Photo by Elle Yap.
A corner of Shannah Orencio’s “Rituals of Recovery” exhibit. Photo by Elle Yap.
Shannah Orencio's "Rituals of Recovery" exhibit view. Photo by Elle Yap.
Shannah Orencio’s “Rituals of Recovery” exhibit view. Photo by Elle Yap.

“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. 

Two paintings by Shannah Orencio. Photo by Elle Yap.
Two paintings by Shannah Orencio. Photo by Elle Yap.
Two paintings by Shannah Orencio. Photo by Elle Yap.
Two paintings by Shannah Orencio. Photo by Elle Yap.
Three paintings by Shannah Orencio. Photo by Elle Yap.
Three paintings by Shannah Orencio. Photo by Elle Yap.
Close-up look at one of the paintings for  "Rituals of Recovery." Photo by Elle Yap.
Close-up look at one of the paintings for “Rituals of Recovery.” Photo by Elle Yap.
Paintings by Shannah Orencio for the exhibit. Photo by Elle Yap.
Paintings by Shannah Orencio for the exhibit. Photo by Elle Yap.

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. 

One of the paintings up close. Photo by Elle Yap.
One of the paintings up close. Photo by Elle Yap.

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. 

Close-up of one of the paintings for "Rituals of Recovery." Photo by Elle Yap.
Close-up of one of the paintings for “Rituals of Recovery.” Photo by Elle Yap.


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

Le Banquet des Philippines: A Feast of Filipino Craftsmanship at Paris's Révélations Biennale.

Le Banquet des Philippines: A Feast of Filipino Craftsmanship at Paris’s Révélations Biennale

The Grand Palais in Paris sets the stage for “Le Banquet des Philippines,” a remarkable exhibition of Filipino artistry, from May 21-25, 2025. This showcase takes place during the prestigious Révélations – Biennale Internationale Métiers d’Art et Création. Curated by Milo Naval and presented by the Design Center of the Philippines, the event promises a […]

AXOR ShowerSelect ID by Kuysen.

Protected: AXOR ShowerSelect ID: Precision, Personalization, and Pure Luxury

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Some of the products by Röthlisberger shown at the atelier of Edwin Uy.

Edwin Uy Atelier Brings Swiss Brand Röthlisberger to the Philippines

Filipino architect and designer Edwin Uy opened a new atelier in Makati City, displaying and selling products from the Swiss company Röthlisberger. The first distributor of the brand in Southeast Asia, its uncommon mix of minimalist residential design and easy, no-frills construction makes it a singular addition to the Philippine market today. The Röthlisberger company […]

Rossy Rojales and The Alchemy of Space: Balancing Beauty, Function, and Emotion.

Rossy Yabut Rojales: The Alchemy of Space

Design is more than just a profession for Hurray Design‘s co-founder IDr. Rossy Yabut-Rojales. It’s an intrinsic part of who she is. Not confined to a single discipline, her approach is a fluid exploration of form, function, and emotion. This deep-rooted connection to design shaped her perspective, allowing her to move seamlessly across different creative […]

4 Global Coffee Shop Interior Design Ideas Shaped by Community and Tradition.

4 Global Coffee Shop Interior Design Ideas Shaped by Community and Tradition

Coffee weaves itself into the very fabric of countless cultures across the globe. And as coffee shops blossom into vibrant social hubs, they also become expressions of what a community believes and represents. These four coffee shop interior design ideas across the globe offer a glimpse into this fascinating interplay between culture, caffeine, and artistic […]

Two glass artworks by Michael Orlina for "Shifting Reality."

‘Shifting Reality’: The Debut Exhibit of Michael Orlina

Shifting Reality at Galerie Stephanie marks the inaugural exhibition of sculpturist Michael Orlina. The son of famed glass sculpturist Ramon Orlina, Michael has also adopted glass as his medium of choice for self-expression.  The artist seems to be building upon the ideas of the original master, finding new permutations of glass as artistry for a […]

Download this month's BLUPRINT magazine digital copy from:
Subscribe via [email protected]