The young artists charting MAPS
WHEN MAPS, an exhibit of portraits of musicians by Mhel Cabriana, visual artists by Abby Yao, and stage performers by Pro Gelladuga, opens at Galerie Joaquin at 7 p.m. on Friday, the question will be: Why bring together three artists under 30 who have zero solo shows and no BFAs between them?
It sounds like a gamble, more so when you think of the physical and professional distances between them: Cabriana is an assistant restorer living in Cavite, Yao a writer in Antipolo, and Gelladuga a dancer in Hong Kong. But exhibit curator Renato Habulan, who has followed all of them from their first strokes on the canvas, sees the three as focused individuals with the drive to pursue the artist’s path.
Meetings for the show are like barkada days out, complete with long road trips, meals together and in-jokes. A small group show has its perks, especially in establishing the artists’ individual identities. Cabriana’s paintings have a quiet sentimentality, as in “Guitar Man,” where even the most “rasta” guitarist appears almost saintly. The tall, modest artist, born on Christmas Eve dreamed of being a soldier when he was a child, but his skill in drawing led him pursue art. His best asset, he believes, is patience – extremely valuable in bringing out minute details. Helping to clean many an Amorsolo has perhaps given him some insight into the habits of a master, and his paintings have an unabashed glow associated with traditional painting.
In contrast, Yao tends to rough up monochrome images with a palette knife. A self-confessed nerd who wonders whether being rational and comfortable with words is a disadvantage in the visual field, she spent many of her postgraduate days in Europe visiting museums. “Deborah” and “Hadrian” are portraits of a painter and a potter at work in their respective studios. The figures seem to disappear like dust, leaving behind more carefully rendered brushes and ceramic pieces, a reference to the artist’s mortality and the longevity of art.
Since moving to Hong Kong three years ago for work, Gelladuga has spent his spare time painting in his flat and taking short courses in art school. In his pieces for MAPS, he captures the tight routine of his workmates, most of whom are foreigners like himself. In “Rite of Passage,” a performer puts on makeup without a trace of self-consciousness. “...And I am his” draws its title from a Biblical passage that Gelladuga says describes the movement of a couple in the painting–a choreographed moment of the artist and his wife, also a dancer. His strokes have a contemporary feel that is simultaneously painterly and photorealistic.
The artists keep their compositions simple and symbolism scant as the figure itself is a site imbued with meaning. As their mentor, Habulan constantly checks on their progress, gives them advice on improving their work in the oil medium, and is impressed by their development. He jokes that the title of the show should have been MAPA, the last A standing for Ato, as he known in the community. The title of the show was initially an acronym of the artists’ names, but halfway through the preparations, they realized that it was a perfect fit for the musicians, artists and performers who are their subjects. Someone else’s work life is now part of their life’s work, and they are hopeful that the plans they are mapping continue to work out.
MAPS runs at Galerie Joaquin until December 3. The gallery is located at 371 P. Guevarra St. corner Montessori Lane, Addition Hills, San Juan, Metro Manila. For more details, visit www.galeriejoaquin.com.