Hailing from the US and EU, these talented artists from the Philippine diaspora react, reflect, and respond to the life and work of the acclaimed abstractionist.
Creativity runs in the Filipino DNA. This explains why we have so many world-class talents, be it in music, theater, film, and, yes, the arts.
While there is already a bevy of established names in the contemporary visual art scene—Benedicto Cabrera, Emmanuel Garibay, Jigger Cruz, Leeroy New, to name but a few—there is so much talent in the crop of emerging Filipino artists both at home and abroad.
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Recognizing how rich the pool is of promising artists in the Philippine diaspora, Art House brings together nine of them in an exhibit that celebrates iconic Filipina abstractionist Nena Saguil. “Lakbay: Voyages into the Absolute with Nena Saguil” was an idea born out of Art House’s desire to bring something fresh to the local art scene, while also honoring a giant in Philippine arts.
From the US to the EU
Aside from showcasing never-before-seen works of Saguil, the exhibit will shine the spotlight on Filipino artists from the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Switzerland, who will all exhibit pieces that react, reflect, and respond to Saguil’s life, praxis, and works.
There’s New York-based Filipino-American artist Jana Benitez, renowned for her vibrant, gestural style that explores human emotion, cultural heritage, and spirituality. Rose Cameron, also a Filipino-American, is known for her emotionally rich and textured works that explore themes of cultural identity, migration, and memory. Her pieces are marked by layered abstract forms, sometimes interwoven with imagery from her Filipino roots.
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The youngest among the featured artists is Manila-born Kim Cruz, who is also an art therapist, art instructor, curator, and runs Kalma Art Foundation, an NGO dedicated to education and the arts. US-based Lizza May David, meanwhile, is a painter and multidisciplinary artist interested in gaps and silences in personal and collective archives and experiments with forms of activation or disturbance through abstract painting.
Manila-born Filipino-American John Wayne Forte draws from his mixed heritage for his work that spans religious and figurative themes, integrating symbolic references to both Catholicism and Filipino cultural identity. Based in Switzerland, Marissa Gonzalez has gained global recognition for her “Nostalgia Revisited” series, which uniquely features jusi paintings.
There’s also Filipino-Belgian wire artist Rasco Jugarap, who is the son of a jewelry designer from General Santos City. He grew up playing and experimenting with the tools in his father’s workshop which helped cultivate creative ideas in his mind. Present during the media preview of “Lakbay” last Jan. 27 at Discovery Primea Makati was UK-based Kulay Labitingan. The Quezon-born artist and UP College of Fine Arts alumnus specializes in applied storytelling through the media of illustration, experience, and narrative design. Lastly, there’s Los Angeles-based and -born Jaclyn Reyes, an interdisciplinary artist and community-based cultural organizer. Reyes has worked extensively with Filipino communities to foster translocal solidarities through public art and mutual aid initiatives.
Nena Saguil’s works were often inspired by the cosmos and what lies beyond the known world, a theme that all the nine featured artists could relate to in their respective diasporic experiences. Going beyond being just a visual homage to Saguil then, “Lakbay” is also conceptualized as an exhibit, experience, and a conversation that honors the stories of the Philippine diaspora.
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A bridge for artists, relevant stakeholders
Art House’s founder and CEO Carlo Pineda, who is an avid Saguil collector, shares that for Philippine Art Month, they wanted to present a different proposition. “We were keen on bringing audiences stories and experiences not usually found in the local art market.” The show aims to fill a void for those living in the diaspora, both the market and creators.
Carlo emphasizes, though, that Art House is neither a gallery nor a talent agency. In an interview with The POST during the media launch of “Lakbay,” the art enthusiast shares that they are currently engaged in collaborations in two industries. “One is visual, because I’ve been a collector for 25 years, so I guess understanding Filipino art and collecting, that’s what I do,” he says. “But we have touched on a collaboration with culinary, so we’re also looking into that.”
He admits that it’s going to be “a lot for them to absorb” if they try to get into too many different industries, so they are trying to focus first on the ones they can manage and execute properly. “(Art House) always talks about Philippine culture through the arts. If we’re going to execute in different industries, it will be against the background of the platform’s overhanging programs. So since this is the Philippine diaspora, it allows us to potentially execute the different talents that are relevant to the diaspora.”
Art House is not all about managing the talent, he adds, but it acts as a platform to give access for collaboration with different stakeholders needed to make the execution a success. Asked if Art House can be best described as a “bridge,” he agrees, adding that they aim to create an ecosystem that would allow talents to tap Art House’s networks and resources.
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In a separate statement, Carlo explains that while others may want to gatekeep artists from collectors, Art House would like to build spaces where both can interact, connect, and be part of one open, inclusive ecosystem or community. “We’d like to think that our work as a platform helps to revitalize the patron-artist relationship.”
“Lakbay: Voyages into the Absolute” will run from February 8 to 10 at the mezzanine of Discovery Primea.
