Joseph Tecson - In the Middle of the Unknown

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE UNKNOWN JOSEPH TECSON

A SOLO EXHIBITION

EXHIBITION NOTES

Solitude is a kind of freedom. – Umberto Eco (1932 – 2016)

By replacing fear of the unknown with curiosity, we open ourselves up to an infinite stream of possibility. We can let fear rule our lives or we can become childlike with curiosity, pushing our boundaries, leaping out of our comfort zones, and accepting what life puts before us. – Alan Wilson Watts (1915 – 1973)

The beauty of solitude and venturing into the unknown has long inspired humanity to seek and experience a sublime kind of freedom, in whatever degree or manifestation it may be. For many, nature's vast expanse is a fathomless wellspring offering an inexhaustible opportunity for respite to recuperate from the vicissitudes of life.

The wonders of nature have been a recurring subject in Joseph Tecson’s works. According to him, nature has been his “saving grace,” one that provided him with an avenue to experience consummate freedom and growth, both in aspects of his personal life and artistic practice. For Tecson’s fifteenth solo exhibition, he expounds on the beauty of refuge in the unknown and the inherent sense of liberty its vastness genuinely provides.

Created within the span of a year, the works in this exhibition offer soothing snapshots and serene glimpses of Tecson’s various travels in several remote areas in the Philippines. The paintings are drawn from the artist’s photographs of these secluded sections of the country— untouched, unscathed, and divinely pristine. Inspired by the works of the German painter Anselm Kiefer, whom Tecson considers his foremost luminary, the exhibition explores Tecson’s recollections of being and existing, aiming to preserve personal memories and enkindle in the viewers a profound experience of freedom, a unique excursion into the breadth of the unknown.

The works represent the developments in Tecson's personal life and artistic practice. The paintings are personal in essence yet resonate effectively with the viewer, showing Tecson’s capability to evoke different expressions, feelings, retrospections, and introspections in his viewers through his powerful imagery. Tecson’s masterful application of impastos and a fair balance between muted and vivid colors result in evocative, arresting depictions of faraway seascapes and sceneries that, when viewed closely, evoke familiarity in our varied yet shared experiences of peace and tranquility, in which our inner richness is slowly realized and attained. There exists a spiritual connection between the artist, the works, and the viewer.

All in all, the works serve as Tecson’s outlet for exploring the joys of retreating into the unknown—a hauntingly beautiful encounter. While the paintings offer a unique adventure into remote regions, they also present an adventure into the secluded areas of our existence, where the familiar and the concealed, the overt and the incognito, being and nothingness, complement each other, allowing us to grow and mature in the long run.

Words by Adrian Maranan

JOSEPH TECSON

“Insular” 2023

oil on canvas

48" x 40.2" (122 cm x 102 cm)

“Rock Formation”

2023

oil on canvas

60" x 48" (152 cm x 122 cm)

“Isle 2” 2023

oil on canvas

48" x 60" (122 cm x 152 cm)

“Isle” 2023 oil on canvas

48" x 72" (122 cm x 183 cm)

“Rocky Shore”

2023

oil on canvas

48" x 60" (122 cm x 152 cm)

2023

oil on canvas

48" x 72" (122 cm x 183 cm)

“Cave” 2023

oil on canvas

48" x 60" (122 cm x 152 cm)

“Wave” 2023

oil on canvas

48" x 72" (122 cm x 183 cm)

“Coast” 2023

oil on canvas

44" x 72" (112 cm x 183 cm)

“Fields” 2023

oil on canvas

48" x 60" (122 cm x 152 cm)

Joseph Tecson (b.1985)

Contemporary Artist

ABOUT THE ARTIST

The self-taught artist who has been active in the Philippines, Joseph Tecson, developed an art style of his own even though he had never received formal training. With crucial decisions about themes and objects settings, he often successfully reaches his goal of satire, as he considers painting a means of challenging the social norms.

EDUCATION

2004 - 2008

• Bachelor of Arts in Production Design

• Artist-in-Residence, WhiteSpaceBlackBox, Neufchâtel, Switzerland

• “Powerplay” , Underground Gallery, Makati City, Philippines

• “Out of coverage areas” , 1335 Mabini Gallery, Makati City, Philippines

• “Luxe, Calm et Volupte” , Underground Gallery, Makati City, Philippines

• “Perimeter Offense” , 1335 Mabini Gallery, Manila, Philippines

• “Inmates +Outmates” , WhiteSpaceBlackBox Gallery, Neufchâtel, Switzerland

• “Over and out” , Manila Contemporary, Makati City, Philippines

• “Destroy the Cages” , West Gallery, Quezon City, Philippines

• “Inmates” , Magnet Gallery, Quezon City, Philippines

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

• “Spaces within the Spaces within the Spaces” , Nunu Fine Art Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan

• “WIDERSTAND-Resistance” , WhiteSpaceBlackBox Gallery, Neufchâtel, Switzerland

• “Radiation” , The Art Center of Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

G/F CORINTHIAN PLAZA, 121 PASEO DE ROXAS, LEGAZPI VILLAGE, MAKATI, METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINES