South east Asian Artists Magazine Vol 1 No 3 Pancho Piano Cover

ISSN 2719-0064

Vol. 1 issue No. 3 P 250 (5.25 usd)

Southeast Asian A R T I S T S

M A G A Z I N E

Arts Culture Events

“SALT MARSH” The Life of an Average

by Ingrid Aimee

Women’s Universe (Basoeki Abdulah Museum)

by Hati Sri Prameswari

Consistency

by Mark Shellshear

An Illustrator's Manifesto

By Arnel Mirasol

Rediscovering Bicol through the Artistry of

PANCHO PIANO Cover Photo by Alain De Luna

Contents:

Southeast Asian A R T I S T S

M A G A Z I N E

Arts Culture Events Published Quarterly

Ruth Chua Editor-in-Chief

Filarts Inc. Publisher

Roy Espinosa Creative Director

Ingrid Aimee Vanessa J. Tan Gana Mara Fabella Mark Shellshear Arnaldo Mirasol Hati Sri Prameswari Writer / Contributor

Alain De Luna Photographer

Editorial and Satellite Business Office: Blk 4 Lot 13 Gemini St. Cruzville Subd.

Quezon City 1124 Email: filartspublishing@gmail.com / filartsincorporated@gmail.com

COVER STORY

page 5 Gallery Wks page 12 “ Salt Marsh�

Ingrid Aimee: The Life of an Average page 14 Exceptional: Java Borobudur Villa Borobudur Resort page 24 WOMEN'S UNIVERSE

page 30 Our cover : Rediscovering Bicol through the Artistry of Pancho Piano by: Mara Fabella page 36 Museum and Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art page 40 Aris Bagtas and Sons: A Family of Painters by: Vanessa J. Tan Gana

(Basoeki Abdulah Museum)

by: Hati Sri Prameswari page 27 Consistency Mark Shellshear

South East Asian 3 Artists Magazine

page 48 An Illustrator's Manifesto

By Arnel Mirasol

FROM THE EDITOR

he year 2020 is considered by many as a year of hardship and suffering, with the covid 19 pandemic and all the natural calamities that came one after another most especially to my country, the Philippines. But, we at FILARTS has a lot to be thankful for, being able to bounce back after the covid 19 lockdown imposed earlier this year. The Southeast Asian Magazine was conceptualized during the quarantine period and saw its first issue came into reality in July 2020.

It proved to me that indeed, there is a way: as long as you have the determination, the passion, the will to pursue something you love, and having the support of the people who believe in your intentions.

Now on its third issue, the Southeast Asian Magazine is gaining ground, and the asian art scene is alive and kicking.

On this issue, the Salt Marsh is a must read, something to ponder about life and love. Pancho Piano is on the cover, the pride of Bicolanos. Not to be outdone are the featured artists inside which are quite eclectic, a name to reckon with in his/her own country in the field of arts.

And I thought this year would end on a sad note, nah! There's a rainbow always after the rain.

Ruth Chua Editor in Chief

South East Asian 4 Artists Magazine

Peace and Unity through Art in Japan 2019

“MAY SKY” KATAYAMA Kazuhiko 2020

Peace and Unity through Art in Japan 2019

“FUNDARIKE NO THO” KAMETANI Aya 2019

Osaka is Japan's second largest city after Tokyo.

GALLERY wks. was founded in 2002 in the gallery district "Oimatsucho" of Osaka.

At a unique location in the top floor of the apartment, the space is a simple white cube. It's a very creative act to transform an empty space into an extraordinary world through collaboration between artists and galleries.The gallery owners are interested in a wide range of genres such as painting, sculpture, photography, lacquer art, pottery, installation and contemporary dance. And the gallery presents a truly unique expression and is known for avantgarde activity.

In 2019, a joint exhibition "Peace and Unity through Art in Japan” by artists from four nation, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan was held. In the first place, Osaka is a city that has opened overseas. In the 16th century, there was also an exchange with the Philippines, which was called Luzon at the time. It is a town that has been interacting with foreign countries since ancient times. As a gallery in Osaka, which is blessed with a rich culture, we can expect further.

And finally, I pray that the art fire will continue even if the world suffers from CORONA. May the Asian seas be connected again by art.

GALLERY wks.

KATAYAMA Kazuhiko 1103, 3-14-26 Nishitenma, Kita-ku, Osaka, 530-0047, Japan works@r.sky.sannet.ne.jp https://www.facebook.com/GALLERYwks

"My works challenge the present and the norm. They reflect the abundance in yet to be experimented on and explored in. I thrive in experimenting with colors. Colors allow me to create my individuality and flare. I feast on vibrant splashes of colors and free fall strokes. Each of my new creation helps me renew my connection with my Creator."

Kamil Shafie was a very active politician circa 1990s and he held several portfolios in the state government before he decided to revel in his life as a full time artist in 2018.

During his tenure holding public positions, he placed high priority on the wellbeing of the people. When he was appointed the Chairman of Perak Tourism Management Berhad, the tourism arm to develop the State of Perak's tourism products, he traveled the world to promote and showcase the State's rich cultural heritage and biodiversity. And through his tenure he has added significant power of observation in which he applied adroitly into his work today.

Born in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, in 1960, Kamil began his foray as a versatile artist in the 80s during his times studying in the USA. When he was in Augustana University, Sioux Falls, South Dakota USA in 1989, he honed his craft specifically in abstract expressionism under the tutelage and mentor ship of Professor Emeritus Carl Grupp and Professor Robert J Aldern, both from the Faculty of Visual Arts, Augustana University. He further enhanced his artistic and technical experience during a short stint reading Design Studies in Kansas City Art Institute, Missouri, USA under the supervision of Steve Whitacre.

Abstract Expressionism impressed him most and became his signature genre of choice following his interest in the broad movement in American painting that began in the late 1940s and became a dominant trend in Western painting during the 1950s. It displays profound emotion and universal themes – depicting post war mood which was mostly shaped by surrealism.

He was only in his twenties then, but was an old soul enthralled by both the classic elegance and rebellion of the 40s and 50s. He found the play in color composition and the zestful gestural expressionism in abstract forms profoundly engaging and mystifying. Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Barnett Newman and France Kline were among the early explorers of abstract expression. Locally, Yusuf Ghani and Jailani Abu Hassan have stamped their mark as abstract expressionists. And Kamil aspired to stamp his very own branding in this genre too.

South East Asian 6 Artists Magazine

On completion of his study, Kamil returned home and took a di?erent turning in his creative journey as an Art Director in Idris Associates, a Junior Creative Director in Reka and Reka Advertising Sdn Bhd, a Creative Communication Consultant in Suria Amber Sdn Bhd and finally the Marketing and Creative Communication Consultant in Armnet Integrated Sdn Bhd. Actually, prior to leaving the country to pursue his studies in the US, Kamil had already started dabbling with creatives and art as an Art Director in Bamban Advertising.

The experience gained in advertising had only managed to add valuable learning curves for him as an artist. His passion in arts and paintings kept brewing. He became an Adjunct Lecturer for Kolej Yayasan Melaka, Cosmopoint and Perak Institute of Art and his training and professional experience provided exciting and inspiring educational journey for his students.

Stay Safe, mixed media on paper 20.5in x 30in

He debuted into the art arena through his first solo exhibition in 2015 themed 'Expressions from Above' showcasing a collection of 71 untitled works of oil on canvas. 'Expressions from Above' was an important catalyst for him to spread his brand and works through exhibitions locally and abroad. Since then he has participated in many local and international exhibitions, and amongst the more recent ones included ART Ipoh 2019 by Tin Alley; Kecik-Kecik Penang 2019 @ Penang Bus Depot Art Gallery; Variation @ University Malaya Art Gallery; The Path of Love @ Water Apple Art Gallery Borobudur, Indonesia; Freedom & Love Art Talk and Exhibition 2019 @ GSIS Museum Manila, the Philippines; and Sekaki International Art Exhibition at Kuala Lumpur City Art Gallery 2020 organized by PERUPA. Although technically he has entered the art scene in less than two years, his works have started to gain the right traction with recognition received from abroad. Kamil Shafie was a recipient of Freedom & Love PH 2019 - a Plein Air Live Sketching Event (Second Place) in conjunction with the Freedom & Love Art Talk and Exhibition 2019 in the Philippines.

Coming next will be SATU: Masterpiece organised by Malaysia Visual Art Association that will chart his next journey into art galore, and the first in 2020; followed by Art Lives - an art exhibition at Ming Art Gallery, Paragon Mall Penang in November; before drawing down the curtain.

Paleo Biota, Acrylic on Canvas, 60in x 60in

For 2020 with Perak Man Art Trail Art Exhibition, organised by Perak Artist Association which will be held in Ipoh and at National Art Gallery Kuala Lumpur in December 2020.

The relationship between politics and arts is delicately intertwined. That art contributes to politics fresh perspectives, aesthetics, and provocations in an imaginative manner, is an understatement. Arts, according to Kamil has to be Arte Ăštil, just like politics. When we observe something in life, we should be curious, and yet discerning. He conveyed layered yet loaded expressions, observations, thoughts and opinions of his experience and journey as a political leader through abstract portrayal in his paintings using various medium and artistic styles.

Good to be back, Acrylic on canvas, 48in x 4in

'Once upon a Biome', 60in x 60in, Acrylic on canvas

South East Asian 7 Artists Magazine

Cipto

Purnomo was born in Magelang, 1983.

He grew up in a village of stone sculptors, surrounded by mountains and temples.

This natural environment strongly influenced his artistic spirit. He was trained in detailed drawing of machines when studying automotive engineering, then continued to study fine art at ISI (Indonesian Institute of the Arts) Yogyakarta and graduated in 2006. His work is focused in sculpture and paintings and he actively participates in both local and international group exhibitions. Cipto Purnomo's work combines elements of tradition and technology that are processed in his imaginary space, so that the final visual results are often surprising, unique, symbolic and have a depth of meaning. His work is widely collected by local and international art lovers.

Selected Exhibitions: 2020 The Bridge, Internationals contemporary Artists, Shah Alam Gallery, Malaysia. SEKAKI International Art Show, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Manifesto VII PANDEMI 2020, Indonesia National Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia. Jiwa Tak Terbatas, Pendopo Pengayoman, Temanggung, Central Java, Indonesia.

2019 Freedom and Love 2nd International Art Symposium, GSIS Museum, Manila, Philippines. Patung Relief CandiCandi Berbisik, Studio Mendut, Magelang, Indonesia. The PATH of LOVE, Art-cultural program, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Padepokan Apel Watoe, Borobudur, Indonesia. Enchanted Odyssey, a Three Nation Art Exhibition, Nuve Heritage Hotel, Singapore. Mural at Ang Mo Kio Town Square, Singapore. Ekspresi Malindo, Shah Alam Gallery, Malaysia. Freedom and Love, Padepokan Apel Watoe, Borobudur, Indonesia. Sastra Rupa Gambar Babad Diponegoro, Jogja Gallery, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

2018 Otak Kanan, Padepokan Apel Watoe, Borobudur, Indonesia. The Future of History Biennale Jateng #2, Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia. PANJI, Great Art Exhibition, Batu Malang, East Java, Indonesia. Seninjong # 3, Plataran Djokopekik, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Otak Kanan,Ruang Dalam Art House, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Inside Java, Villa Borobudur, Indonesia.IMAGO MUNDI #3 NATIONS ART SHOW, Sunrise Gallery, Fairmont Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia. Sharing Goodness & Happiness, Padepokan Apel Watoe, Borobudur, Magelang, Indonesia. Harmonium, Plataran Heritage, Borobudur, Magelang, Indonesia. IMAGO MUNDI #3 NATIONS ART SHOW, Hulo Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

2017 IMAGO MUNDI #3 NATIONS ART SHOW, Hotel Nuve Heritage, Singapore. Sculpture Triennale “SKALA” Indonesia National Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia. “CINTA (Love)”, Tuksongo Visual Art House – Padepokan Apel Watoe, Borobudur, Indonesia. “Imago Mundi, The Art of Humanity, Bentara Budaya Jakarta, Indonesia.

2016 Imago Mundi, The Art of Humanity”, Bentara Budaya Bali, and Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta,Indonesia.“Kartini Jangan Menangis”, Rembang, Central Java, Indonesia.competition trimatra Salihara, Salihara, Jakarta, Indonesia.

“Our Culture”, Plataran Resort, Borobudur, Indonesia. “Reborn”, Galeri Pondok Tingal, Borobudur, Indonesia.

South East Asian 8 Artists Magazine

Beyond Space and Time, Acrylic on Canvas, 170cm x 150cm, 2020

The Goddess 1, Acrylic on Canvas, 140cm x 100cm, 2019

Diversity Without Speaking, Acrylic on canvas, 150cm x 150cm, 2020

The Goddess 2 Acrylic on Canvas 140cm x 100cm 2020

Looking for a way Home Acrylic on Canvas 180cm x 140cm 2019

South East Asian 9 Artists Magazine

Nining Niluh

Sudarti is a self-taught Indonesian visual artist and newcomer to the field of monumental Land art. She was born on 14 March 1980 in a traditional village on the northern slope of the Menoreh Hills, three kilometers from the world's largest Buddhist monument—Borobudur Temple. Raised in the midst of classical Javanese culture, Niluh received a modern education, augmented by an extensive study of meditation and spirituality in Southern India. As a result, her art reflects both a contemporary sensibility and the ancient wisdom of the Indianized cultural sphere (“Indosphere”), of which Javanese civilization remains a unique exemplar.

Niluh is actively engaged in a wide range of art activities and fine art exhibitions in Indonesia and abroad. In 2019 she was one of a group of international artists invited to participate in creating a complex set of interlocking murals in the historic Singapore district known as Ang Mo Kio, linked to the renovation and reinvigoration of its town center. The official unveiling of these murals occurred on 6 April 2019, conducted by the Honorable Koh Poh Koong, Senior Minister of State for Singapore's Ministry of Trade & Industry.

In the field of Land art, Niluh works within the complex, richly contoured framework of the Menoreh Hills, employing a style reminiscent of Javanese statuary art and architecture spanning the 8th to the 16th centuries while closely integrating her artistic creations with the surrounding natural landscape.

A crew of approximately forty-five local residents are engaged in various aspects of Niluh's current Land art project (begun in 2015), including builders, sculptors, stone-carvers and landscapers. Working by hand and using traditional methods, without explosives or modern earth-moving equipment, Niluh and her team are employing massive blocks of andesite stone from nearby Mount Merapi—identical to those used to create Borobudur Temple—to build a contemporary monument to the traditions of Javanese art and spirituality.

The unifying concept of this project may be summarized as “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Oneness Amid Diversity),” for it displays the essential unity of Java's diverse religious traditions—including animism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam—while demonstrating the potential for harmony between human beings and the natural environment.

Artwork in progress The Fallen Angel Acrylic on Canvas 100cm x 120cm 2020

Let us go to Magelang / Acrylic on Canvas / 180cm x 180cm / Artwork in Progress

South East Asian 10 Artists Magazine

Toto Titi Tentrem / Acrylic on Canvas / 90cm x 70cm / 2019 Serenity / Acrylic on Canvas / 60cm x 70cm / 2016

The Insight / Acrylic on Canvas / 90cm x 70cm / 2019

Emerald Acrylic on Canvas 70cmx90cm 2019

Dewi Bhumi / Acrylic on Canvas / 100cm x 120cm / 2019

South East Asian 11 Artists Magazine

Dès Vu 12in x 18in Oil on Canvas Giddy 2020

"SALT MARSH” Ingrid Aimee: The Life of an Average

“It’s the hard things that break; soft things don’t break…You can waste so many years of your life trying to become something hard in order not to break; but it’s the soft things that can’t break! The hard things are the ones that shatter into a million pieces!” ~C Joybell C Language is a powerful thing. Though often dismissed as “semantics,” the imagery our words and terminology impart often adds unintended or even misguided connotations onto what we intend to say.

This is why it is so difficult to speak about spirituality. When we say

“God” or “salvation” or even “peace,” those words can bear an unintended doctrinal, political, or social stamp on them that means something very different to the listener than it does to the speaker.

But what does it mean when you don’t let people in and open yourself up to them? You avoid the hurt, but you also miss the intimacy, the connection, and the depth of an open, honest relationship.

A prime example of this is the “hardness” imagery that is woven into many words intended to be positive, such as “strong” or “tough.” We want to be “strong” and “tough,” to be able to handle all of life’s trials and tribulations without cracking.

Indeed, how can you even really be in love with someone if you erect an emotional barrier in the way?

You can’t.

However, these words often morph into an image of hardness. When we are strong, we hunker down, grit out teeth, and bear it. When we are tough, we “power through” the bad times.

The short-term result is often satisfying. The hard person bounces back quickly from a failed marriage or an illness or losing a long-term job. The trouble, however, is often found beneath the surface and in the long-term. What happens when someone spends a lifetime hunkering down and powering through?

To use a cliché, the tree that doesn’t bend, breaks. A hard tree can endure a lot, but when a strong wind blows, it cracks and falls over.

We put on armor to avoid the hurt. That used to be a way of life for me.

I once knew someone who had endured a lot of trauma as a child, having been abused and betrayed by people to whom he was vulnerable.

His survival mechanism developed through these experiences was to not go too deep with people, to hold his cards close to the vest and not open up. This was easier, he explained, because when you were done with someone, you could just move on easily without feeling the hurt.

What followed in his wake were broken relationships and broken people, who he was able to step past.

You can cut off feelings—the good and the bad—but you can’t isolate and block out specific types of feelings.

In order to feel joy and intimacy, you need to allow yourself the vulnerability that will also inevitably lead at times to pain.

In order to love, you have to deal with the eventual certainty of loss. Otherwise, you’re just kind of numb.

You’re not really there.

People need connection. What happens to someone who moves through life while keeping everyone at arm’s length? What happens to people who don’t show themselves for who they are? I should know—I often avoided authenticity and vulnerability in order to protect myself.

Having grown up in a household where I was set upon by my parents, I learned not to be vulnerable. I became a go-getter—determined, accomplished, and always putting on a strong front, strutting around to ward off those who would hurt me.

What this meant, though, is that I struggled to find that one person with whom I could be completely honest, and when I did, I put all my eggs in that basket. Hence, when my relationship ended, I was destroyed.

The more you hurt, the more you fear. The more you fear, the thicker the armor you wear. The thicker your armor, the more it weighs you down. When my armor finally cracked and fell off, it led to a complete breakdown. It was during the recovery from that breakdown that I learned what real strength was.

South East Asian 12 Artists Magazine

I had been determined. I fixed my sights on goals, typically those that would bring me recognition, and I achieved them. These goals conformed with what is commonly viewed as “success”—wealth, influence, and renown. So, I doggedly stuck to the path, my eyes always forward instead of looking around me. I was tough.

Life is a long road with many forks. My eyes on the prize, I was unwavering and kept going left. Unfortunately, life was telling me in so many ways to go right.

I lived in a city that didn’t at all conform with what I valued. I stayed in a relationship that exhibited many warning signs. I had a well-compensated job that drained all of my time and energy. I was literally sick—in the hospital multiple times each year.

When the pain became too much, I fell apart, and at that point, I had no choice but to go right.

In that moment, all my hardness couldn’t see me through.

And that’s what suffering is: it’s the great teacher that tells, keeps telling you where to go, and the more you try to power through, the more painful and prolonged it will be. Then you soften up and go right, and everything changes.

Not surprisingly, nature inspired me with the most fitting, if obscure, image: a salt marsh.

Salt marshes are a natural habitat along coastlines. During storms, salt marshes absorb the force of large waves, which travel into the marshes, lose momentum, and dissipate. If they even hit the shore, the waves retain a fraction of their former strength, and the coast is thus protected. Sand dunes serve a similar function.

Over time, people have degraded and destroyed these fragile habitats, making storms even more dangerous and destructive.

To protect harbors, people have built sea walls made of stone. These walls appear strong, but over time sea walls crumble with the force of being slammed by powerful waves or can even cause more destruction when waves ricocheting off of them create violent chop in the water.

When you are a sea wall, you smack the waves away. The waves hit other people and objects and smack you back.

Your resistance creates wake, which damages others and eventually, after a long time, causes you to collapse.

Instead, be a salt marsh. Absorb the waves and let them pass through you. Accept them. You will be hit with enormous force, but you will not lend that force any more energy. If left unpolluted and unspoiled, salt marshes will survive forever.

Underneath the hard armor that weighs you down, you’re soft. When you are a salt marsh, your softness absorbs the waves. The hard sea wall smacks them away. A flexible tree bends with the storm, while the hard one doesn’t waver—until it breaks.

Somehow this image works for so many of spirituality’s life lessons. Let hurt soften you; don’t let it harden you. Let that time someone hurt you open your heart up to compassion for all of those who are hurting. Let it be a reminder in the moment to be more forgiving.

When an experience is difficult, you can fight with it. But if you surrender to it, let down your walls, and be open to the experience, and you will grow from the pain. Give up the hard walls and soften yourself up to what comes your way.

When floating down the river of life, you’re totally right to swim in the direction you’d like to go. But paddle too hard against the current, and you’ll drown. Try going soft and floating, seeing where the river will take you—it’s not like you have that much of a choice anyway!

Bravely learn to relax with life and see what happens, and you will make decisions with more wisdom and take actions with more power than if you were fighting.

As Pema Chodron says, “stop protecting your soft spot…stop armoring your heart.” Likewise, “wretchedness humbles us and softens us…Gloriousness and wretchedness need each other. One inspires us, the other softens us.”

Maybe it’s something like a rule: when you’re in a moment in which your instincts are telling you to be hard, before you act at least take a moment to consider what being soft would look like. What would the soft option be, what could result, and who might you become?

Contemplate softness.

South East Asian 13 Artists Magazine

South East Asian 14 Artists Magazine

South East Asian 15 Artists Magazine

Previous Shows

NUVE Heritage Hotel Art Space One of the world's busiest business and tourist capitals, Singapore, has long been the art aficionado's paradise. With such vast wealth of public galleries, creative events, and white spaces, no selection of the top contemporary art galleries can be comprehensive. Aside from betterknown exhibition spaces such as Gillman Barracks, ION and Ode to Art, some strategically located art space such as NUVE Heritage CafĂŠ Art Gallery are well worth a visit.

This humble art space is one to watch. It places you within a 10minute stroll of popular attractions such as Bugis Street Shopping District and Raffles City. This 19room, 4-star hotel has conveniences like a restaurant, a bar/lounge, free in-room WiFi and a wall space dedicated for visual art.

between the rooms and space to wander with the knowledge to communicate with the nature of the displayed artworks. Although the gallery platform is dominated by twodimensional art forms, it champions contemporary artists with widereaching horizons, including sculptures. For those who enjoy art that tells a story, while staying at a cosy room, enjoying pastry and black coffee, this space exhibitions are unlikely to disappoint.

By Abu Jalal Sarimon, abjartstudio@sg Art Organiser, NUVE Heritage Hotel Art Space 13 Purvis Street, Singapore 188592 Email : abjsarimon@yahoo.com.sg Phone : +6596647914 Webiste : contact@hotelnuveheritage.com

NUVE Heritage art space has become the hub of burgeoning artistic life for established and promising young artists. With only 2 set of spacious walls with high ceiling, the exhibition space is undeniably compact – but each show is allowed to breathe, with a surprising fluidity South East Asian 16 Artists Magazine

Imago Mundi 3 Nations Art Exhibition Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia December 2017

Imago Mundi 3 Nations Art Exhibition Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, December 2017 Phptography with Head of Imago Mundi Team Abu Jalal Sarimon (Singapore) Antonius Kho (Indonesia) A Zaki Hadri (Malaysia) Posing with their countries' book published & printed in Italy

My Place Your Place Solo Art Exhibition by Allen Sanchez, young Philippine artist February 2020

My Place Your Place Solo Art Exhibition by Allen Sanchez, young Philippine artist Art dialogue with Mr Choi, Ex Senior Curator for Singapore Gallery & active art writer February 2020

Enchanted Odyssey 3 Nations Art Exhibition, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia Photography of artists, Cipto Purnomo, Syis Paindow, Abu Jalal and Niluh Sudarti June 2019

Enchanted Odyssey 3 Nations Art Exhibition, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia Art dialogue with artists, Roy, Migz, Abu Jalal and Art Buyer Mr Damien June 2019

South East Asian 17 Artists Magazine

Mylene

Quito

self-taught abstract expressionist, Mylene Quito's works are truly unique. Aside from being wholly original, her works are done spontaneously yet powerfully; exuding multiple feelings, internally driven, and emotionally charged. Her strokes and use of texture undeniably intrigue and magnetize the attention of passersby.

Being a true artist, Mylene enjoys collaborating and sharing her knowledge with fellow artists, especially to the children. Her subjects border on motherhood, family, and religious icons. She is also well-known for her Blue & Yellow series, Gray series, and recently, her Familia series.

Her career as an artist skyrocketed with her Familia series, and it grabbed the eyes of various collectors, and celebrities. According to her, the Familia series was born out of the feeling of seeing your loved ones,

family and friends, united together even though you are not physically with them. Her works serve as a reminder that we, Filipinos, are very family-oriented and that we give importance to keeping our loved ones close to our hearts in any way possible, may it be in pictures, or in Mylene's case, through paintings.

She furtherly explained that the use of strong and bold colors reflect the experiences she has both as a mother and as an artist. These experiences are thrown on to the canvas as a moving expression of her artistry.

Quito is definitely an abstract expressionist to watch out for as she continues to ascend above the heights.

Follow her on Instagram, @mylene_quito, and on her Facebook page, Otherside Of Me.

South East Asian 18 Artists Magazine

Familia Series 41,Acrylic on Canvas, 48in x 96in

Familia Series 29 Acrylic on Canvas 32.5 diameter 2020

Familia Series 3 Longing, Acrylic on Canvas, 48in x 36in, 2020

Lower left image: Familia Series 6 Gods Grace Acrylic on Canvas 24in x 30in 2020 Lower right image: Familia series 15 Acrylic on Canvas 24in x 36in 2020

South East Asian 19 Artists Magazine

Norman

Cristobal

During the late ‘70s, Norman G. Cristobal worked as a figurative artist for ten years in various cinema advertising companies. He also worked at Kimbel Publication, Pinoy Romance and Valentine Romance as a pocketbook cover illustrator. It was in 1983 when he became serious in painting and started joining prestigious art competitions and exhibitions. In 1995 he joined a four men art exhibition at Kent Gallery in Makati City which paved the way to more art exhibitions in various art galleries.

Year 2004 saw the highlight of Norman’s career as an artist when he held his One Man Exhibit at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center. It was also on the same year that he was commissioned by the same hospital to restore its lobby mural painting.

Market Scene, 24x30 inches, Oil on Canvas

Although Norman’s style in painting has changed over the years, from cubism in his early works to more modern, textured artworks in keeping with the times, the sense of grace and realism is still there, looking at his works.

January 16, 2018 is a remarkable moment in Norman’s life as an artist, having been selected as the Featured Artist of the Month by Puno Art Gallery and Art Association of Novaliches. As such, he was given the special privilege of holding a One Man Exhibit.

In July 2019 Norman is one of the Philippine delegates to "SAKTI 3030", a three-nation international art exhibition by select artists from Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines which was held in Singapore.

At 67, Norman is at the thick of his career as an artist, with more art exhibitions and paintings in the works. For Norman, his successful journey in the field of arts has just begun.

South East Asian 20 Artists Magazine

Upper left image Mag Iina, 24in x 30in, Oil on Canvas Lower left image Mother & Children, 24in x 30in, Acrylic on Canvas Upper right image Horse Rider, 30in x 40in, Oil on Canvas Lower right image Mango Picker, 18in x 24in, Acrylic on Canvas

South East Asian 21 Artists Magazine

Jiro

Mizuse Jiro Cephrie Anthony Legaspi Mizuse

s a young artist, I try to be unique and creative in the execution of my works using different mediums. I hope I would be able to refine my skills and be recognized for my own style. But more importantly, I would value the experience of my works being owned and appreciated for their inspiration. I also would like to give due recognition to my mentors who shared with me not just their skills but their values earning them the honor of being called , "masters", but with pride and endearment, "my mentors." Painting, drawing, and exploring new ideas, styles have been my passion ever since I was a small kid. The time and effort I exert in my works exude light and happy mood - turning a plain ,white coated canvas� into a breath-taking new experience not only for me but to the viewers as well. I wish to arouse my viewers' interest in my works by challenging to be free and imaginative in figuring out the meanings embedded in my works.

Exhibits: Kunst Batangas (2012) Art Exhibit for a Golden Cause, Divine Word Seminary, Tagaytay City (2013) UP Madrigal Singers So Far So Gold Central Cultural of the Philippines (2013) Art Association of the Philippines (2014) Beautiful Tagaytay on Canvas One Tagaytay Place Hotel (2014) Life Struggles and Contributions of OFW, Manila Hotel (2015) Bonifacio High Street, BGC (2015) Mount Carmel Church, Bulacan (2015) Pahiyas Festival in Lucban (2016)

Bilang bata pag ikaw ay nakakita nang alitaptap diba natutuwa ka? Nagtataka kung bakit umiilaw? Parang mga bituin na gumagalaw. Pero dahil nawawala na ang mga kagubatan sila rin ay nawawala na. Mga alitaptap ay parang ilaw, sa akin bilang artist lalo sa pandemic na ito, nawawala ka sa kadiliman pero pag meron ka nakita na alitaptap gusto mo syang sundan kasi alam mo nag bibigay sya nang ilaw sayo. Parang mga mahal mo sa buhay tulad nang pamilya, kasintahan, asawa, nililigawan. Sila ang mga tao na nag bibigay sayo nang lakas sa pandemic na ito. Sila ang nagtatayo sayo pag nadadapa ka.

Gusto mo sila sundan kasi alam mo na dadalhin ka nila sa maliwanag na kinabukasan.

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Firefly or Alitaptap series 5 Acrylic on canvas 24in x 24in 2020

Upper Left Image Firefly or Alitaptap series 2, Acrylic on canvas, 14in x 16in, 2020 Lower Left Image Firefly or Alitaptap series 1, Acrylic on Canvas, 14in x 16in, 2020 Upper Right Image Firefly or alitaptap series 3 acrylic on canvas 14in x 16in 2020 Lower Right Image Firefly or alitaptap series 4 acrylic on canvas 14in x 16in 2020

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WOMEN'S UNIVERSE (Basoeki Abdulah Museum)

by HatiSri Prameswari

Basoeki Abdullah or his full name Fransiskus Xaverius Basuki Abdullah born in Surakarta, Central Java Indonesia died in Jakarta, Indonesia, November 5, 1993 at the age of 78 years. He was an Indonesian maestro painter. He is known as a realist and naturalist painter. He was once appointed as the official painter at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta and his works have decorated the palaces of the state and the Indonesian presidency, as well as being collectibles from all over the world.

He inherited the painting talent of his father Abdullah Suriosubroto, who was also a painter and dancer. While his grandfather, Doctor Wahidin Sudirohusodo was a figure of the Indonesian National Awakening Movement in the early 1900s. Since the age of 4, Basuki Abdullah began to enjoy painting several famous figures including Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Jesus Christ and Krishnamurti.

Basuki Abdullah's formal education was obtained at HIS Catholic and Mulo Catholic in Solo. Thanks to the assistance of Father Koch SJ, Basuki Abdullah in 1933 obtained a scholarship to study at the Academic Fine Arts (Academie Voor Beeldende Kunsten) in The Hague, Netherlands, and completed his studies within 3 years by winning a Certificate of Royal International of Art (RIA).

From 25 September 2020 to 25 October 2020 the Basoeki Abdullah Jakarta museum held an art exhibition entitled "WOMEN�S UNIVERSE," which exhibited the works of 15 artists from various regions in Indonesia.

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The theme of women in Basoeki Abdullah's portrait paintings does not merely represent the beauty of women's bodies, but rather presents the female figure in a microcosmic context related to the character of human nature and life and macrocosm.

This is the main factor in the thought of the Basoeki Abdullah Musem to hold an art exhibition this time.

Women have always been a source of inspiration for artists, whether it be songs, paintings or sculptures.

"By holding an exhibition that presents art actors from various regions as a commitment and consistency of the Basoeki Abdulah Museum to art actors. All generations have come with the aim of providing opportunities for all artists to present their best work.

With the theme, "Women's Universe," this time the Museum Basoeki Abdullah invites the public to see the socio-cultural background and ideology, to see how the female figure is present as inspiration for the work of cross-cultural artists.

On the other hand, an exhibition was held to celebrate Basoeki Abdullah's character in consistently working through his paintings.

The artists participating in the exhibition are asked to work in a style and way of interpreting the content and narrative personally and personally for the actors being offered.

The 15 painters chosen by the Museum and the Curator are, Agustan, Afriani, Citra Sasmita, Erica Hestu Wahyuni, Ika Kurnia Mulyati, Guntur Wibowo, Indyra, Ponkq Hary Purnomo, Tubagus Patoni, Reza Pratisca Hasibuan, Syis Paindow, Ignasius Dicky Takndare, Prajna Deviandra Wirata, Mahdi Abdullah, Vikey Yordan.

The works on display are paintings on canvas with various media explorations, ranging from oil paints, acrylic paints, and so on. Likewise, the genre of painting chosen by artists varies from realism, expressionism, impressionism, to metarealistsurrealism.

Most of the works on display are the latest works, specially created by artists at the exhibition by bringing up the various socio-cultural dynamics that are happening, including the theme of humanity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The artist Syis Paindow, known for his Realist genre, this time presents his latest work with the title. “MOTHER OF THE UNIVERSE,” with a description, featuring the Javanese woman's version of Mother Eve in the form of Apsara [angel] which is often found in the reliefs of Borobudur Temple, Prambanandan Temple and several other temples.

She wears a Manolo mask with a gold pattern as a symbol of speech and advice which is very valuable like precious metals.

And the black and gold “Soya Gloves Hermès” gloves, holding an Apple fruit [apple in golden hand] apart from being a symbol of the forbidden fruit, the apple here can also symbolize a child, so

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whether or not the child is good or not will be the result of the shape of the hand. a mother's gold.

Pregnant belly with a golden continent symbolizes the uterus that will give birth to golden children, extraordinary children in the future.

The background on the left is a batik motif from Keraton Solo with a dragon pattern, a symbol of the devil seducing Adam and Eve, on the right there is a relief from SUKUH Temple representing the uterus, Lingga and Yoni. And also the planets of the solar system as symbols of the universe.

Syis Paindow explained that the Mother of the Universe was the first woman named Eve who was also called Ummul Basyar ("Mother of Mankind"). Because the entire human population in this universe started from her womb. Eve lived in Heaven with Adam, but because they ate the forbidden fruit, they both ended up expelled from Heaven.

Woman or in Javanese Wanodya is the mother of the whole universe, from her womb generations begin, on her shoulders the children hang hope, every inch of her body is beauty, loyalty and, wisdom, the estuary of love.

Through her golden hands and her sincerity she educates children to be extraordinary personalities. Said a mother teaches noble values and manners, and courtesy to children from the womb to their ? adulthood.

So there is an expression that the mother's approval is also the pleasure of Allah. A woman can be transformed as soft as cotton and as strong as steel, as well as dangerous as a poisonous snake, depending on how the world treats her.

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" Eatery."

This is a 1998 painting that was part of my Markets of the Philippines series. Here we see the inside of an eating house, two young woman placing all the cooked food on the counter and then in front two men eating.

Acrylic on canvas.

Private collection.

Consistency It is very human to want everyone to like us, but the truth is they won’t and that’s ok.

Then you must be confident and say, I am not for everyone, but I am for those who like me.

So our real job outside of creating our Art is to get ourselves in front of our audience.

We must ignore the critics, don’t try and convert them, you will waste your time and you most likely will not change them.

Once you have an audience you must work hard to keep them, if you say you will do something do it, consistency is the key.

Get your self in front of your audience and look to keep building that audience with great Art, compelling stories, short concise videos, consistent after sale service and a very friendly personality.

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Mark Shellshear 0947.647.34.65 markshellshear@gmail.com galeriadelasislas@gmail.com

By Hati Sri Prameswari

Manuel

Sinquenco There are elements of art that apply in general or universal. This element is present in almost all works of art to varying degrees. The combination of these elements will create a work of art that is unique and has it's own beauty.

Take a deeper look at the Manuel Sinquenco's art work which combines several styles and elements of arts.

The combination of decorative and natural realists, which includes geometric elements of abstraction of horizontal structures and vertical structures, is influenced by Piet Mondrian's abstraction style, which makes the painting into several flat parts and can give the impression of space according to the interpretation and perception of art connoisseurs.

The combination of naturalistic and geometric abstraction elements can be an interaction that can give individualistic value and meaning.

Even though the decorative elements themselves in fine art emphasize simplification or minimalism, in this work it is seen that every object is combined with various rules of fine art elements, with cheerful Pop Art colors, balanced with a minimalist background color without ornaments giving the impression. Cheerful and warm in the room so that the painting Manuel Sinquenco, seems to have a soul and looks more character as a result of the use of harmonious colors.

The selection of cheerful and warm colors in this art work seems to answer the needs of art lovers who want their room not only to be beautiful but also to warm for the owner or visiting guests.

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Upper left photo: Title :Magandang Araw #1 Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Size:30x36 Yr:2018 Lower Left Photo: Title: Biyaya ng Hunyo Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Size:24x36 Yr:2020 Upper right photo Title: Glorious Trading #3 Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Size:24x36 Yr:2020 Middle right photo Title: Glorious Trading #4 Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Size:24x36 Yr:2020 Lower right Title:Harana Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Size:18x24 Yr:2016

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Rediscovering Bicol through the Artistry of Pancho Piano

by Mara Fabella

Photo by Alain De Luna

Bicol is one of the Philippines most stunning places, teeming with picturesque scenery as well as a rich cultural heritage. The region's thriving art scene has produced some of the country's most successful artists working today. One of its most prolific proponents is seasoned painter and muralist Pancho Piano.

Hailing from Naga City, Piano studied economics at the University of Nueva Caceres, meanwhile nurturing his talent in the arts. At an on-the-spot sketching session, he was discovered by celebrated abstractionist Jose Joya, who offered him a scholarship at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts.

The Artist in His studio

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Since then, Piano has established an abundant career as both a solo artist and a supporter of Philippine art.

He has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions around the country and abroad. Among his many accolades are winning twelve Artist of the Year Awards from different Bicol institutions, being a finalist at the 1997 and 1998 AFP Centennial Mural Painting Competitions, and the 2018 USA – Pamana Award for Arts, Culture, and Style. He is a member of Future Legends in New York and was a resident artist in 2014 for Tagaytay Highlands. Piano is the Vice Chairman for the Juan Luna Chapter Pasig City and a member of the board of TSKP (Tagapagtaguyod ng Sining at Kultura ng Pilipinas).

Pancho Piano began painting traditional subject matters drawn from Bicolano culture, and his style slowly evolved as he progressed in his career as an artist.

“Hindi ako yung kumbaga nakatutok lang doon sa isang estilo na pag nakita mo, yun na yon. Sa akin, malikot ang isip, kumbaga.” (“I'm not the type to focus on just one style where, if you look at it, that's it. My mind is always restless.”)

The artist with his works

His paintings of women and of Bicolano deities are situated against an abstracted background, so they appear not just as precise visualizations of Philippine folklore, but as timeless illustrations of the magic of local culture. Piano presents his own take on classic Filipino painting that traditionally is enveloped in realism.

“Medyo different ang approach. May pagka-modern.”

(The approach is different. There's a bit of the modern.)

Piano has also done extensive work as a muralist. He has created large scale murals both for corporate commissions and churches, and continues to actively do work in them today. His murals mostly depict either religious tableaus or historical narratives. As both an artist and a poet, Piano has a natural ability for storytelling. These works show the artist's capacity to render intricate details and combine different visuals while telling a harmonic story. His figurative rendition of Bicol's famous Peñafrancia Festival blends colonial Filipino architecture and dress with scenes from provincial life. Piano draws on the tradition of grand visual storytellers like Carlos Francisco to tell the tales that have shaped him as an artist.

Piano's early figurative style

Piano's early works evoke the classic ideals of Philippine painting. The mother and child, local folklore and cultural practices, and historical and religious scenes. His depictions of the elegant provincial woman, or dalagang bukid, recall the light atmosphere of Amorsolo. At the same time, these figurative works tread the boundary between the representational and the abstracted. The artist uses thick strokes and bright, vivid colors so his figures are imbued with the stylistic dynamism of Carlos Francisco's works.

One of the artist's many detailed iterations of the Peñafrancia Festival

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Apart from his painted murals, he has also done stained glass installations for numerous churches around the country. His works fuse the luminous medieval artistic practice with a Filipino penchant for narratives. This affinity for stained glass started when he worked at a glass company as both a designer and an art consultant. Eventually he turned his detail-oriented hand in painting to the centuries-old medium. He uses oven baked glass with lead to create decadent religious scenery that light up the interiors of churches with bright arrays of colors. Among the churches Piano has done stained glass work for include Albay Cathedral, PeĂąafrancia Golden Jubilee Ceiling Pavilion, San Jose Church in Camarines Sur, Mirror Mother Justice Church, and the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral Dome. For the artist, these complex and dazzling pieces represent both an expression and affirmation of his faith in religious stories.

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Piano's studies in UP Fine Arts are what opened up his practice to full abstraction.

“Before, I told myself that since I know how to do figurative or realism obra, I told myself maybe I will not go to the school of abstraction. When I was in UP, parang nag-iba. Kasi from the barrio of Bicol to Naga City, and then to this major city in the Philippines, Manila— parang nag-iba. Nag-evolve yung aking style.”

(Before, I told myself that since I know how to do figurative or realism works, I told myself maybe I will not go to the school of abstraction. When I was in UP, this changed. From the barrios of Bicol and Naga City, and then to this major city in the Philippines, Manila – it changed. My style evolved.)

An Abstract Representation of the Bicolano deity Haliya, Goddess of the Moon and Fertility

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Artists Magazine

His works are energetic and full of movement but at the same time evoke the similar levels of calm and serenity present in his early figurative works. He uses a variety of applications, from thick orbs of impasto, to wide, flat strokes that appear to playfully dance across his canvas. For Piano, painting abstract works represents a release of emotions.

Many of these works share a common visual direction, radiating outward from their centers. Elements in the background resemble suns or moons, as if visualizing the artist's inner emotional landscapes. His recent series of abstract works, produced in quarantine, represent his persistent feelings of optimism that have allowed him to persevere through the difficulties of the pandemic. On each canvas, he combines a vibrant palette of colors that, instead of clashing, seamlessly work together to tell a hopefully story of their own.

Piano is also a staunch supporter of his fellow artists. He has helped organize exhibits for other artists both in Bicol and in Manila and is also an ardent collector of his contemporaries' works. Along with his many group affiliations, he hosts activities such as workshops for art enthusiasts and aspiring artists. One of the artist groups that is near and dear to Piano's heart is the Salingoy Art Group in Naga City. Through the group, Piano hopes to encourage more Bicolano artists to continue narrating the history of Bicol through their art and to, in his words, “propagate their culture.” He encourages these artists to try to maintain their ties to their homeland, no matter how far they may go in their career.

“I always say to them that the term “salingoy” is to look back. So I always say to them that maybe, if you have time, if you can realize our history or anything about Bicol… you can make some subjects like that. Nasa kanila yun. Basta ang sinasabi ko, always look back kahit saan ka man nakarating… Yun ang aking pinakamotto.” (“I always say to them that the term “salingoy” is to look back. So I always say to them that maybe, if you have time, if you can realize our history or anything about Bicol… you can make some subjects like that. That's up to them. What I simply say is always look back, no matter how far you go… That's my motto.”)

Piano has exhibited in venues all around the world, including New York, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. And yet for however far he is able to travel, he makes sure to keep looking back toward his hometown. Bicol remains part of his personal and artistic identity, and between his many local and international group shows, he still makes time for commissions from different Bicolano communities. In turn, they gratefully award him with special recognitions each year.

“As an artist, sabi ko, hindi lang ako nandito sa Manila—kahit nandito ako sa Manila, my heart is always in our place.

And then I see to it na matulungan din yung mga local artist at the same time. Hindi ko naman sinasabing successful na ako. But parang nasa dugo ko rin to help others. Kumbaga uuwi ako sa Bicol, parang naggagasolina ako doon. I get some inspiration about the people, the situations, the landmarks, the many activities in Bicol. Maraming pwedeng gawin, and I have to do more.” (“As an artist, I say, I'm not just here in Manila. Even if I am in Manila, my heart is always in our place [Bicol]. And then I see to it that the local artists will also learn at the same time. I'm not saying I'm successful. But it's still within my blood to help others. It's like if I go home to Bicol, I'm there to refuel. I get some inspiration about the people, the situations, the landmarks, the many activities in Bicol. There's so much to be done, and I have to do more.”)

Salingoy Art Group with Elementary and High School Student in Albay working on a Mural Painting

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One of the artist's works dedicated to the frontliners of the COVID-19 pandemic

Quarantine has done little to slow Pancho Piano's enthusiastic practice. Despite not being able to do more collaborative mural work and having exhibits postponed, he remains positive. He continues to paint both figurative and abstract works and strives to further explore his signature blending of the two genres.

But for the artist, the greatest silver lining of this period in isolation is not just with his time with his art.

“I told the other artists also… there's also an advantage. The advantage is you can make more paintings, more obras. And also, you have the time.

You have your time with the family.”

“You have to adapt to the situation. Artists must be creative, so hindi pwede kang magsisi sa iba, kung ano man.

Actually pwede ka rin magpasalamat din. Because ang pinakamaganda, lalo na kung family man ka, nakikita mo yung family mo, sabay-sabay sa pagkain, sabay-sabay sa kung ano man.” (“You have to adapt to the situation. Artists must be creative, so you can't blame other people, no matter what.

Actually, you can also be thankful. Because the best part, especially if you are a family man, is that you can see your family, eat together, be together no matter what.”)

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Museum and Gallery of

Modern

and Contemporary

Art The Museum and Gallery The Museum and Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting developments in the late 19th century to post-World War II art through 1970's (Modern Art) and 1970's to the present (Contemporary Art) in all media and creating a welcoming environment for its public appreciation. The Museum will promote understanding and interest in art and artists through art shows and exhibitions, curatorial research and publications, and a variety of educational programs, including lectures, guided tours, and workshops.

The Museum is an organic, changing place.

Although all the works seen are part of our permanent collection, in order to show the full range of our holdings - over 2,000 objets d'art and to accommodate important temporary exhibitions, certain works must occasionally be taken off view.

Modern Art Modern Art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to

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the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophy of the art produced during that era.

The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of experimentation. More recent artistic production is often called contemporary art or postmodern art.

Contemporary Art Contemporary Art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century.

Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world.

Some define contemporary art as art produced within "our lifetime".

Free Admission Come Visit Us by Appointment Mon - Fri: 10am - 4pm Sat, Sun and Holidays: Closed Moncada - Alcala - Bayambang National Road (Arboleda Street) San Pedro IlI, Pangasinan, Philippines museumgallery.ph@gmail.com

Awarding of certificates during the Freedom and Love Event 2019

Inside the Museum Artist from different countries looking around the museum Mr. Ray “Beng� Duque giving welcome speech to the artists delegates.

Artist working on a wall mural in the Museum wall

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BILLY

Billy Israel A. Yu

by Vanessa J. Tan Gana

“Art is love of pictorial invention and a form of communication.” – Billy Israel A. Yu

illy Israel A. Yu's artworks encompass a gamut of style exemplifying Modernist aspirations from exulted Masters of Modern Art. Influence of Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Richard Diebenkorn, to that of Marc Chagall can be traced in his works. Such diversity in stylistic range and the explorative use of color elucidates the distinctiveness of his oeuvre. His Father William Yu has also made a significant impact on the artistic development of his repertoire.

The subject matter of his paintings varies, as does the stylistic techniques he employs to achieve the desired composition. First and foremost is the delineation of form to be interpreted. Yu devices a way to emphasize the two-dimentionality of the canvas through the flattening of the three-dimentional figures. The intermittent use of both abstraction and figuration has aided him in transforming volumetric mass into geometric configurations that lends plasticity to the depicted figure. As was the intent in modern art movement, a new way of interpreting the nature of a subject free from the idealized 'mimesis' is adapted.

Yu's paintings also explored the effect of color as a separate element of form. Color itself and the process of application can define the context of the composition. The fragmented component of an object is enhanced when enveloped by the layering of complementary cool and warm color, as was the case in his painting “Piano Player” (2020). Yu applied the reductivist approach by reducing the human form into rectangular and semicircular elements. Only the delineated face identified the conglomerate shapes as such. The piano is identifiable by virtue of the yellow white staggered rectangles representing piano keyboard and the three black keys. He also makes a play of using neon-bright colors to capture atmosphere and mood.

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“The Horse” (2015) and “The Horse 2” (2017) are depicted using the schematized aspect of figuration. The subjects are identifiable as equine species, as can be seen from the projected anatomy.

But the structural assembly as well as the flattening of attributes corresponds to the Cubist configuration. The expressionist brushstrokes evoke the semblance of movement intuited by the subject.

The Horse 2 Acrylic on Canvas 24in x 46in 2015

City Scape Acrylic on Canvas 35in x 35in 2012

“Cityscape A” (2012) is an homage to abstract expressionist R. Diebenkorn. Compartmentalized fields of solid colors dominate the picture plane. The planarity of composition is reminiscent of the gridded environment of a city with its block of buildings and multi-linear roads.

Billy Israel A. Yu is a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Major in Marketing graduate. His works had been featured in publications such as William Yu's “Hallelism” and “Halelismo and the Neo Baybayin Calligraphy of the Philippines”. He also had a major solo art exhibition at Ellene Art Gallery (Greenhills, Philippines) and was part of a number of group art exhibitions in the Philippines.

Lower Right Piano Player Acrylic on Canvas 27in x 27in 2020 Lower Left The Horse Acrylic on Canvas 40in x 30in 2017

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ARIS BAGTAS and SONS: A Family of Painters By; Vanessa J. Tan Gana

Aris Bagtas with sons Euri and Dale

Aris Bagtas and his sons Dale and Euri Franz has proven that talent does run within a family. It gets passed down from one generation to the next. Aris, a visual artist and a father has seen to it that his sons should traverse the path where their interest lie. And his sons chose the path closest to his heart: Art. Aris Bagtas hails from Obando, Bulacan.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of the East (U.E.), Caloocan. He became a faculty member of U.E. College of Fine Arts, Executive Committee on Visual Arts of National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Vice president of Art Association of the Philippines and Kunst Filipino International Art Group. He has numerous one-man show

both locally in the Philippines, and abroad in Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom of Great Britain, Italy, France, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Canada, China, and Korea. Aside from art exhibitions, he also participated in art competitions and also has won several awards locally. His artworks are featured in books and publications in Korea and the Philippines. Aside from doing art in canvas, he also paint murals in churches and municipal halls. The Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Malolos Cathedral, Philippines and St. Camillus Church in Essen, Germany are some of the recipient of his wondrous works. He also does outreach art program and art workshop for charity events and benefits.

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Aris

Bagtas The Quintessential Storyteller Aris Bagtas' artworks depict a monoscenic narrative of folkloric images showing the celebratory aspect of Filipino culture. His theme revolves around town feasts honoring the town's patron saints. In Bagtas' portrayal of the event, a sense of pageantry pervades the scene as the devotees joyfully participate in the procession of the icon saint. A sense of excitement and anticipation can be felt as the sequence unfolds.

In one of his ouvre entitled “Ang Himala ng Biyaya (2020)”, the townspeople are enacting the ritual of bountiful harvest. Gift-offerings such as fruits, crops, fish, and liquid concoction contained in the claypot jars 'tapayan' are brought by the people or laid on the banquet table. Both the young and old holds a candle as was the custom to illuminate the way. What is striking is the central figure of the Christ Jesus in the foreground actually alive and enjoying the festivity himself. This is in reference to a bible passage where Christ multiplied loaves of bread and fish to feed the people. There is the dual dynamics of the devotees bringing their harvest offerings to Christ, and Christ himself showering His people with abundance.

The biblical tableau in his “Salo Salo ng Biyaya at Patnubay (2020)” was given a new perspective literally and figuratively. The subject was illustrated using the one-point linear pictorial plane. The representation of Christ with his twelve apostles having the final meal before their Master was condemned and crucified to death was given an unconventional twist. The supposedly simple meal of bread and wine became a feast galore commonly referred to as 'boodle fight' in the Philippines. Christ with his outstretched arms seem to signify exultation in the presence of his beloved companions, the profusion of seafood, rice, fruits a means to express the jubilance of the occasion.

Bagtas' approach to the narrative is dictated by his unique interpretation of genre painting. In the Philippine setting, this usually takes the form of frontal or profile set up for the subjects to show everyday life. He used flat,rotund, schematized figuration. Garbed in colorful floral and geometric patterned garments of the local ('patadyong' for women and 'camisa de chino' for men',) faced frontally and engaging the gaze of the viewer themselves his rendition of the townspeople veered away from the canonical style of depicting the human form. There is also the use of askewed perspective via the reduction of figure volume to project the planar space of the composition.

Dives in misericordia, Acrylic on canvas 48in x 30in, Rev Fr. Egai De Jesus collection

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He employed iconography in typifying the theme of Filipino sensibility and religiosity. Common signifiers he used are the halo surrounding the head of holy personages,head veil for the devotees, birds as symbol of the Holy Spirit of God, the Sacred Heart displayed prominently on Christ's chest, and stylized undulating lines as clouds to illustrate the sky on the upper horizon, and banquet of food to symbolize bountifulness. He used incised curvelinear lines to define the figures and decorative motif. This is reminiscent of the precise use of lines in lithography to illustrate images. And the vibrant use and contrast of warm and cool color hues lend the festive atmosphere characteristic of his works.

Aris Bagtas' oeuvre capture the essence of Filipino Roman Catholic tradition. He does this in a whimsical way focusing on the celebratory aspect of the event rather than on the ceremonial. In this way,he highlighted the quintessential trait of sense of oneness in the community with spiritual underlining espoused upon by Filipinos around the world.

He is also known for his icon paintings of sacred images of Christ Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Family and patron saints.

These are done in schematized and stylized configuration similar to the religious paintings done during the Spanish Colonial era in the th th Philippines from the 15 to 18 century.

Upper left image Salo salo ng biyaya at patnubay ni Jesus, Acrylic on canvas 72in x 48in, 2020, Mrs Chie Lozano collection Upper right image Pagtanggap, Acrylic on canvas, 48in x 60in, 2017 Rev Fr. Manny Cruz collection Middle image Manunubos 38in x 10in Acrylic on wood Fr. Sean Tiongson Collection Lower left Image Himala at Pananampalataya Acrylic on canvas 72in x 48in 2020 Mrs. Chie Lozano collection

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Dale

Bagtas Symbiosis Master Dale Bagtas graduated with a Bachelor of Science Major in Interior Design at the University of the East, Caloocan. He joined art group exhibitions, art outreach programs, and art workshops in the Philippines and abroad, and has been a mainstay in local art competitions . He recently won in the government-sponsored GSIS annual art competition . His artworks has been published in art magazines and art competition catalogues.

Dale Bagtas veered away from his father's figuration canon and established himself in the field of Abstraction. He chose to portray a microcosm universe where biomorphic cellular form take precedence in a spatial compedium. His composition speaks of a world constructed to allow a symbiotic interaction between forms.

He used nucleic contours reminiscent of cell infrastructure in his work “Flower Garden (2020)�. The pulsating forms of multi-shaped configuration seemed to glow and move as the eyes of the viewer travel across the picture plane. He interspersed the forms with multiple white dots that created the floating effect for the glowing palette of neon pink, violet,yellow, blue, red, and green colors imbibed in the forms. Rounded, elongated, ovaloids, spherical, clustered, and surrounded by multi-colored diminutive dots around its borders-- these collective elements create clusters that seem to rhythmically expand and contract in regular intervals.

"Pursuit of Happiness II" 24"x12" Acrylic on Canvas 2020 Franco Laurel Collection

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“Heaven (2020)” with its predominantly light blue tonal values reconfigure the cosmos. Similar biomorphic cellular forms with central figure highlighted in neon yellow green were utilized. But here those forms seem to simulate ocean creatures such as sea urchin, sponges, sea anemone, and sea shells-- an effect of the bluish-tinged environment. The miniscule dot matrix is again present to lend the aura of floating effect to the forms. The pulsating motion is once again present among the cluster formations.

Dale Bagtas' composites meld together into a unified synthesis of shape,color, and form. The complexity of its tectonic make-up and the diversity of constituent parts truly profess an affinity with a recreated conception of the universe. A metaphysical journey commence as one view his ouvre, transcending the material barrier imposed by the known world.

Dale Bagtas “A Brand New Day" 48"x36" Acrylic on Canvas 2020

Dale Bagtas Heaven Acrylic on Canvas 48in x 36in 2020 Atty. Boggie Balina Collection

Dale Bagtas Flower Garden Acrylic on Canvas 36in x 24in 2020

Dale Bagtas Happies Place Acrylic on Canvas 48in x 36in Grand Prize 2019 GSIS Museum Collection

Lower left image Artist: Euri Bagtas, Caroza Acrylic on ceramics plate, 13in x 13in, 2020 Dr. Richard Daenos collection Lower right image Artist: Euri Bagtas Father and Son Acrylic on ceramics plate, 2020 Mr. Froi Cruz collection

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Euri Franz

Bagtas Whimsical Caricaturist Eleven year old Euri Franz Bagtas followed in his father and brother's footstep when he started doing doodle drawings at an early age. Time spent with them observing them at work has ingrained in him the basic approach in rendering images he encounters as a child. Soon after, he was doing his own take on creating a visual narrative of experiences in his everyday life.

Euri Bagtas adopts a colorful palette of vivid hues as he constructs his figures using bold outlines.

Features are rendered in caricature form and emphasized to distinguish the people as woman, man, or child. His theme revolves around family life and people he encounters or saw. His figuration harks back to the images employed by his father in his compositions. What separates the two is the naive, endearing quality that Euri Bagtas brings in his characterization.

In “Father and Son (2020)� done on ceramic plate, the father and his son embark on a journey atop a carabao. The scenery possess a dreamlike quality with its star-laden blue sky , darkgreen and yellow sun with red light rays, and multi-colored trees . His guileless way of depicting the story shows him as an avid follower of his father's narrative style. “Pamilyang Mapagmahal (2020) is done on a vintage clothes iron. He used as surface the side parts of the object. As was his custom, he exaggerates the facial features (this time encased in facemask) and uses colorful array of shapes to delineate the foreground from the background. The mother and child aspect of figuration is explored here.

Euri Bagtas' curiosity about his surroundings and his keen observance of nature is the key factors that help him come up with themes of family, love, and devotion in his artworks.

Fish vendor, Acrylic on ceramics plate, 2020 Mr. Froi Cruz collection

Lab ko si Doc Acrylic on ceramics plate, 12in x 12in, 2019, Dra Violeta de Guzman collection

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Pamilya kong Mapagmahal, Acrylic sa Lumang Plantsang de uling 2020 Dra. Cacai Bongga collection

Chua Buay Lin Belinda (Singapore)

Narcissus Flower 1, Watercolor mix medium, 114cm x 76cm

CHUA BUAY LIN BELINDA who graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts， She has won several awards including IBM Art Award， Australian Bicentennial Art Award， The UOB Painting Of the Year Distinction Award， 3rd Prize Singapore National Day Painting Art Award etc． Also participated the First ASEAN Youth Sculpture workshop and exhibition at Thailand． Participated in numerous group art exhibition in Singapore， Japan， Korea， Thailand， Malaysia， Indonesia， China and Taiwan etc．

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Description of work Flowers will wither. Memories may fade. Through the exchange of art illustration and cultivation, the moments of the blooming flower can be captured forever. Beautiful everlasting memories will be created.

Unlimited imagination can be unleashed.

Narcissus Flower 3, Watercolor mix medium, 57cm x 75cm

Narcissus Flower 2, Watercolor mix medium, 57cm x 75cm

Narcissus Flower 4, Acrylic on Canvas 92cm X 61cm

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AN ILLUSTRATOR'S MANIFESTO

By Arnel Mirasol

(This manifesto was used as wall text for my 2007 solo exhibit of illustrations and paintings at the Crucible Gallery.

The remark I made here about a few Picasso imitators as second-rate artists have raised the hackles of some who felt alluded to. Well, allow me to clear things up. I'm not referring to all Picasso imitators, nor to all modernist painters for that matter. The fellows I have in mind were those who haven't gone through the whole route of first learning the rudiments of realist drawing and painting before adopting abstraction or modernist figuration as their style.)

Photo shows me in 2003 while working on The Frog Prince.

I once consulted a fellow painter for advice. I asked him if it is all right for me to mount as my first solo show an exhibition of picture book illustrations. He said no, and I asked him why. "Strategy," he replied: by which he meant, I surmised, that a painter must avoid being labeled an illustrator at the start of his career. Get known as a painter first, then dabble in illustration later.

Implicit in my friend's response is the veiled disdain felt by some painters for illustrators. The matter is made worse by my firsthand observation that some gallery owners themselves are also infected with that conceit. Prior to being okayed by the Crucible Gallery, my exhibit proposal for my first solo show of fairy tale illustrations was rejected by four galleries. One gallery owner even dismissed my work with a smirk, which made me feel pathetic indeed. She at least could have softened the blow by explaining that my work will look

incongruous in a gallery with a penchant for showing angst-ridden paintings.

But no matter, I know that in time, I can somehow prove my point that there are only second-rate artists, not second-rate art forms.

Before focusing my energies on illustration, I did paintings with proletarian themes Those are grim works, which may perhaps partly explain why they never were commercially successful. Today, in my work as illustrator, what is grim is no longer my artworks' subject matter, but my determination to push my standard to my highest limit. In my more than ten years in picture book illustration, I have never once considered it a breeze compared to painting. The opposite is true, because the parameters in picture book illustration are many and exacting. There is a manuscript to dissect, an editor to please, and the child

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readers to entertain. Whereas in painting, you can just affect the nonchalant pose of a recluse and please only yourself.

In our art scene, there appeared from time to time a few Picasso imitators who flaunted nothing but canvases filled with Picassoesque doodles and distortions. But something was glossed over in their posturing. They conveniently forgot that Pablo had mastered the technique of Classical Realism by his fifteenth year. These ersatz Picassos have leapfrogged. Although not yet adept in the twodimensional construction of the human form, they proceeded forthwith to deconstruct it. And presto, they then wore with pride the label "modernist."

Lest I be accused of inviting controversy, I do not of course insinuate that all modernists are poseurs. Far from it. I sincerely admire the works of Arturo Luz, Malang, Prudencio Lamarrosa, Marcel Antonio, and many other modernists. And I intend to one day align myself with them and be a modernist painter too. But no leapfrogging for me. I reserve my disdain only for those who mask their ineptness in the realist technique with the camouflage of modernism. They are the second-rate artist I am alluding to.

I repeat, there is no second-rate art form. Each art form, be it painting, book illustration, animation, digital graphics, etc., is as good as

any. What counts is the practitioner's level of competence. And competence I think is what I've shown in my suite of Hans Christian Andersen and Brothers Grimm fairy tale illustrations - discipline also, and patience. And courage too - the courage to stare back at the poverty that stared me in the face. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. For among the publishers that I have worked for, my present publisher Reni Roxas of Tahanan Books is the most generous. She never hesitated to offer me fees way beyond the going rate of other publishers.

But with the actual art making process stretched into more than a year, the whole enterprise seemed to cease being lucrative.

But believe me, money is never a factor in my success equation. What I've set out to do when I embarked on this project was to create works that will compare not too unfavorably with the world's best. I may have fallen short of my goal, but who cares.

I have done what I can and completed my best work yet. I have wielded with much agony the tool that I'm most familiar with my adeptness in a certain realist technique that another fellow painter said borders on the obsessive. And that proves another point - that we illustrators are also capable of suffering in the pursuit of excellence in our art. And that we too have our own angst, like any starving painter.

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Award-winning Singapore artist Sujak Rahman is one of the finest in the art of batik painting in Singapore and the region. Sujak is undoubtedly one of the few who showcases batik through his paintings, as well as combining the style and technique of modern visual art.

Sujak

Rahman

Sujak started drawing at an early age, creating cartoons and comics with no formal training. Sujak's creativity blossomed in secondary school, where he began painting in watercolour and oil. He honed his skill through research and with advice from a teacher and a friend.

Early in the 1970s, Sujak's interest in batik began. He started batik research methods in Indonesia at Balai Penyelidikan Batik, Jogjakarta. He began teaching batik at secondary schools and privately.

Later in 1983, Sujak moved to live and paint in Hokkaido, Japan. On his return in 1989, he taught at LaSalle College of the Arts and at local schools until the present. He has been teaching batik painting for more than forty years.

Sujak’s work stands as an essential connector between traditional craft and modern experimentation in Southeast Asia. Since 1976, Sujak has held seven solos in Singapore and Japan, with the latest in Singapore in 2012.

He also has won numerous awards over the years.

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This painting was completed just as the Covid-19 lockdown began,after which Sujak himself was unable to access his own studio for a duration.

In the painting the heat and vigour of a buffalo race is recreated, the massive strength and motion of the racing bovines crowned by the determination of their relentless driver.

While Sujak smiles wryly at the irony of the difficulties he faces as a painter, this painting is also somewhat of a self-portrait where in his journey as an artist he has had to move one despite life's challenges.

Looking towards his 72nd birthday in 2021 (the year of the Ox in the Chinese calendar), this painting is also subtly introspective, as the artist assesses his own life story.

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Winnie MAK was born in 1956 in Hong Kong. She studied Chinese ink painting and calligraphy in Calgary, Canada in the 1970s. She attended workshops conducted by the late Mr. LEE Byng, the foremost painter from Hong Kong, and the late Mr. Chin Shek LAM, a leading contemporary Chinese ink painter based in Canada.

After returning to Hong Kong in 1994, she set up her studio and conducted painting classes for children. Apart from developing her own artwork, she administered an array of art projects and visual arts exhibitions, in her capacity as curator and organizer for the Hong Kong Committee of the Federation of Asian Artists, under the aegis of the Home Affair Bureau of HKSAR, and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, with rewarding results. She is currently the President of the Hong Kong Union of Visual Artists.

Her artworks have been included in the permanent collection of: The Duanghuang Arts Centre, China (2001); The Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center in Bangkok, the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, the Ministry of Culture of Thailand (2013); The International Printmaking Center of the National Taiwan Normal University (2017); The Diaghilev Museum of Modern Art of the St. Petersburg State University (2018); Muzeul de Arta Cluj-Napoca, Romania (2019); And in Hong Kong: the University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong (2007); Yiqingzhai Studio (2013); The Hongkong Land Limited (2018);, and other corporate and private collectors, both locally and internationally.

" I adore Nature and it is my source of inspiration.

I enjoy using Chinese ink and brushes to illustrate its meticulous elegance. "

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Winnie Mak ( Hongkong )

2016.19 Gone With The Cloud (2016) 213cm (H) x 150cm (W)

2020.3 Blooms on the Lion Rock (2020) Ink and colour on paper 96cm(H) x 62cm(W)

2017.7, Blue Sky In July (2017), Ink and Colour on paper, 75cm (H) x 43cm (W)

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Dr .

Hsiao

Chu-Shen (Taiwan)

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A Thousand Autumns, 103.6cm x 72.2cm, Ink on Paper, Mineral pigment, Vegetable glue, 2019

Hidden in white, 149cm x 96.5cm, Ink on Paper, Mineral pigment, Vegetable glue, 2019

Misty, Mental Image, 94cm x 160cm, Ink on Paper, Mineral pigment, Vegetable glue, 2018

Mountain Spirit, Bunun-A, 66cm x 179cm, Ink on Paper, Mineral pigment, Deerskin Glue, 2002 Prehistoric Force-2, 205cm x 92.6cm, Ink on Paper, Mineral pigment, Vegetable glue, 2019

True and False 84cm x 173cm Ink on Paper, Mineral pigment, Vegetable glue, 2017

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Erzil Morales' love for painting started when she was still a young girl. However it has to take a back seat to give way to her studies and then later on to her full time job. But just like any true-blooded artist, painting started to lure Erzil back to her passion. In 2016 she went to art classes while slowly discovering her own personal style of painting. Soon she was joining art shows and exhibits where the doors of opportunities came knocking on her art.

Despite being busy having a full time work, Erzil Morales manages her time well making sure she spends enough time with her husband and two kids, while pursuing painting on the side. Talk about being a superwoman!

ERZIL

MORALES " As I paint my thoughts and feelings to canvas, I want to be reminded that no matter how gloomy a situation is there will always be that silver lining. A hopeful perspective that in every situation comes with it something good and this brings me comfort as I complete an artwork. "

A free-spirited artist, Erzil Morales paints based on her current emotional state and on whatever comes to her mind. She would sometimes jump out of bed in the middle of the night to put into canvas what she calls eureka moments. But with every kiss of creativity, there are days when mental art blocks hit her, leaving her frustrated for not being able to paint.

Soulful and calming, a quick look on Erzil's artworks takes you to another dimension, far different from the stressful and chaotic world we live in. She likes to play with hues of colors that reflects her mood at a given time. She gets her inspiration from Barnett Newman, whose works' color combinations inspire her own.

When Erzil is caught in a �painting trance�, she feels like everything comes to a halt. For a moment time stood still, her space transformed into a comfort zone where she sees nothing but her thoughts being transformed into a work of art.

Erzil has no plans of stopping on what makes her fulfilled as an artist. At the moment, she is bent on sharing her thoughts and emotions to the world, immortalized on canvas.

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One wish, Acrylic on Canvas, 24in x 24in

Crimson Sea, Acrylic on canvas, 14in x 18in

Fete carnaval I and II, Acrylic on Canvas, 10in x 14in

Sunshower II, Acrylic on Canvas, 36in x 24in

Luna Acrylic on Canvas 18in x 24in

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ric Masangkay as he is more popularly known, is a product of the University of the Philippines with a degree of EBachelor of Fine Arts in Painting under his belt. Twenty six years later, Eric has gained considerable achievement in the field of sculpture, with a number of solo art exhibitions held in various art galleries in his country, the Philippines.

Alongside fellow artists, Eric has also participated in numerous group art shows and exhibits in and around the Metro.

Eric's works are distinct. If you are familiar with his works, one look at a sculpture and you would know that it is by Eric Masangkay. Steel, copper, wire, brass, epoxy pigment, and stone are his medium of choice as is evident in his latest sculptures.

In “Chasing Clouds”, you can see a man and a woman on a wheel holding onto the ropes, trying to rein the birds and prevent them from flying away. It depicts the pursuit of something impossible to get or something unrealistic to achieve, perhaps. “Tatsulok”, the battle between human and canines may be viewed as the struggle of man to free from the savage of life.

Chasing clouds 20in x 24in x 9in Steel, epoxy, wire, brass, copper, stone 2020

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“Weekend getaway” is the momentary liberation from the busy world; the tug of war between the man and the dog pulling opposite directions tells a story. The man wanting to take a respite from tumult and the comings and goings on, as alluded by the dog pulling on the opposite direction.

In another artwork by Masangkay, a woman is seen atop a bicycle with her arms wide open, both holding on a rope, roaming freely on a vast pastureland of “Batanes”. This is how I picture out this oeuvre - by coming into terms with yourself, one experiences a form of liberation.

Weekend getaway, 20in x 18in x 10in, Steel, epoxy, wire, copper, stone, 2019

Batanes 3 2in x 14in x 9in, Steel, epoxy, wire, copper, brass, stone, 2020

End of an era, 21in x 16in x 10in, Steel, epoxy, wire, brass, copper, 2020

Unlike the Trojan Horse where the greeks were concealed to enter Troy and win the war, Eric's piece entitled “End of an era” speaks of openly –achieved victory. Depicted by several people on top of a subdued horse, the horse symbolizing the adversary and the people as the victors. It elucidates the notion that battles are better won thru multitude.

In conclusion, Eric Masangkay's works engages you to ponder on things – that no matter how much you struggle in life, there will always be a way to survive and overcome the adversities that would come your way.

Tatsulok, 21in x 14in x 12in, Steel, epoxy, wire, copper, brass, stone, 2020

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sarangola 36in diameter acrylic on canvas 2019

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Shida Azari-Huba, Love series 7, Mixed media on canvas, 50cm x 50cm, 2017

AnnaRussell, SealPlay, woodblock,stencils,49cm x 76cm, 2020

Roy Espinosa, Blue Series 20, Acrylic on canvas, 24in x 24in ,2019, Philippines

Ownroad, 18in x 24in, Acrylic on Canvas, 2020, Philippines

Tao Wen-Yuen,Taiwan,The Sound of Great, 136cm x 103 cm, Ink on paper, 2012

Erzil Morales, “CRIMSON SEA”, 14in x 18in, Acrylic on Canvas with pumice gel, 2020, Philippines

Gyempo Wangchuk, Bhutan, De construct the world of Buddha, Silk Thangka , 63cm x 114cm, 2019

Zaki Hadri, Malaysia, Can we survive, Mix Media on canvas, 50cm x 50cm, 2020

Wang Keyi, China, Beijing, Phoenix, ink and color on paper, 77cm×46cm, 2020

Roshan Pradhan, Nepal, Inner Peace, 24in x 30in, Acrylic on canvas, 2020

Wu Cyong Wei,Taiwan, You in me , Ink on silk,Oil, 119cm x 44.5cm, 2019

Anurot Chanphosri, Thailand, Great deeds, wax color on Cotton, 80 x100cm , 2020

Hiroko Ryusekido, Japan, dress, etching aquqtint on framed ,24cm x 18cm, 2017

Aoki,Taiwan, New Green Six-One Piece of Bright, 72.5cm x 91cm, glue color on paper, silver foil, black foil, ink, 2017

Samuel Penaso, Gasmask, Acrylic on canvas, 61cm x 92cm. 2020

Zhang Ming-Ming, China, Beijing, Countryside, Ink on paper, 95cm x 100cm, 2019

Tsai Cheng-Han,Taiwan, Folded Rocks, 78cm x 138cm, ink on paper, 2020

Cheng Dai-Le,Taiwan, stacked buildings, Ink on paper,144cm x 76cm, 2017

洪根深 阅2013116x91cm多媒材水墨 ｖ

Praween,Thailand, Middle of Nowhere, Woodcut, 84cm x 60cm, 2020

Ruttiporn,Imaginary, Thailand, Opas Chotipantawanon, Thailand, Coral 2, Acrylic, Oil Pastel on Sa - Paper, 120cm x 90cm, 2020 Land no.4,Woodcut,37.5cm x 55.5cm, 2020

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Asha Kama, Bhutan,Temple Wall Prayer ,Acrylic on Canvas 87cm x 175cm, 2018

Chuang Lien-Tung,Taiwan, Blue Waves-Water Waves, color ink on paper, 180cm x 75cm, 2020

Liu wen ter, Impermanence change ink on paper ,82cm x 44cm, 2020

Lin Hongxin, Taiwan,Rich and Noble, 176cm x 88cm, 2018

Artphile and Espacio Manila is located at the 2nd level of Festival Mall’s Expansion Wing, Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

For more information, email us at galeriecmg@gmail.com or reach us at 8 829 0831, 0998 964 0832 or 0917 829 3961.

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ESPACIO

Espacio Manila and Artphile Gallery are twin spaces that foster the artisanship of Filipino virtuosos ranging from conventional to contemporary visual masterpiece. These two galleries celebrate the intricate beauty of Philippine art, cultivating both fledging and prominent creators who significantly contribute to the local art scene. Albeit both serve as an avenue for various aesthetic sensibilities, Espacio Manila ventures as an exploration for the new media and contemporary expressions; while Artphile promotes the perennial pursuits of traditional artistic works. These two galleries continuously thrive since the inauguration in 2018, successfully hosting group exhibits by various artists as well as the Cebuano artists group lead by Orley Ypon, and the known contemporary art group, the KUTA Artist Group. They also held an exhibit for a cause by a three-man show between Bangladesh Pervaj Hasan Rigan and Nabila Nabi and the Philippines —Roy Espinosa. Espacio Manila also hosted Freedom and Love 2019 Plein Air Live Sketching with the visiting artists from all around the world. The twin galleries have been actively participating in ManilArt where they showcase the works of Roger San Miguel, Jean Govinda Marquesto, Mayi Peñaflorida, Pope Dalisay, Chito Borja and talents of their home-grown artists.

GAL E R I S HAH ALAM YAYASAN SENI SELANGOR

HISTORY Galeri Shah Alam was founded under the management of Selangor Darul Ehsan Art Foundation on 26th January 1991 and was perfectly officiated by Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah on 6th July 1991.

Selangor Darul Ehsan Art Foundation was inspired by Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj when he was the Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Raja Muda Selangor, where he himself has deep interest and fond of painting.

To realize the inspiration, a discussion between Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Raja Muda Selangor, YM Raja Zahabuddin Raja Yaacob (Prof. Dato’), Syed Ahmad Jamal (Datuk), Tuan Haji Mohd. Musa Ideris and Encik Kassim (Dato’ Dr.), the expert in paintings and design, museum and law was done in order to help implement Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Raja Muda Selangor’s inspiration, in planning the outline of Galeri Shah Alam function and establishment under Selangor Darul Ehsan Art Foundation.

This former Selangor’s Cultural and Tourism Office building with a traditional Malay design, was designed by Puan Maimunah Deraman in the early 1980s. Then, Shah Alam City Council renovated the building to facilitate the art activities in Galeri Shah Alam.

Other than that, the building was designed with traditional Malay design and carving precisely demonstrated Galeri Shah Alam foundation objectives. Therefore, it was in line with the efforts made to the awareness, understanding, and appreciation toward art and integration of plural society in Selangor to popularize the nation’s visual and liberal art.

Galeri Shah Alam as an art centre and tourism attraction in the Klang Valley, is located in the middle of Shah Alam city core. The beautiful building with exquisite traditional Malay art and design surrounded by the lake and recreational park added the ‘art’ value. Besides the peaceful and cosy atmosphere, it can attract more people to visit Galeri Shah Alam.

Centre His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Sultan Of Selangor. (Chairman of Galeri Shah Alam) Sit from right of Sultan Prof. Raja Dato' Zahabuddin Raja Yaacob (Board of Trustee) Ibrahim Bujal (retire), Iszuan Ismail, Khairulsani Ismail, Noor Mohd Ariff Hashim, and M.Hilmi Abd. Halim.

Sit from left of Sultan Siti Nurani Adenan, Ratna Astuti, Nur Syafiqah Zainal, Shafinaz Ismail and Kamariah Mohammad.

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The logo was inspired from a combination of soft elements of metaphoric and typography. The logo was made from a combination of the letters “SS” which means ‘Seni Selangor’, invented in abstract formation to highlight the art and aesthetic features. It also mirrors the functions and roles of Selangor Art Foundation in encouraging the visual and liberal art development.

To specifically make Shah Alam as an Art City to popularize the nation’s visual and liberal art.

To be the driving force of visual art and development activity, also variety of liberal art studies especially in Selangor and Malaysia in general.

To be the art reference for students of school, public and private institutions of higher education, and also to share experiences with the art activists especially the young generations.

“Pameran Terbuka” (Open Show) yearly art exhibition for Malaysian Artist.

Islamic Art Exhibition, Khat Caligraphy 2018.

To be the centre of exhibition for the painters and designers, besides as the tourism attraction.

To be the art heritage centre for the future generations.

To develop appreciation of cultural art through exhibition, poetry reading, discussion and more.

Roles of the Galeri Shah Alam • To Establish the Gallery Permanent Collection To acquire visual art works (drawings, paintings, sketches, sculptures, textile photography and others) from nation’s renowned artists from the early days until South East Asian 64 Artists Magazine

Print making art activity by Faizal Suhif (Artist print maker and he is artist residency 2011)

now as the permanent collections. The acquisition of foreign works is also made to enhance the Gallery collections.

• To Organize Exhibition Organizing periodical exhibition by inviting nation’s artists either solo or in groups. Exhibitions by foreign artists and art institutions also being held especially to give chances to the local community to evaluate and as a reference on art development globally.

• To Organize Competition Art, photography and print art graphic competitions at school, institutions of higher education, district, state and national level are always held as one of the ways to develop skill and new talents in visual art.

• Art Education Programs like painting class, sculpture, print, textile and photography for children, teenagers and adults are held in line with main role of Galeri Shah Alam in its effort to provide art education to those who are interested.

• Research and Reference Provides reference materials for research such as books, magazines, exhibition catalogs, photos and slides, brochures related to local and foreign local art.

• Collaboration Programs Organize collaboration programs with National Art Gallery, National Museum, State Art Museum, local art galleries, local and foreign art institutions, government and private departments, local and foreign institutions of higher education and also foreign countries to ensure art programs can be done successfully.

Clients Charter Always ready to entertain, assist and give information to the artists, painters, art activists and art lovers.

To give feedback to enquiries regarding the collections and collections information within seven (7) working days.

Always alert to the appropriateness of the needs to exhibit.

To organize Galeri Shah Alam Open Exhibition as a permanent annual activity.

Besides additional programs such as drawing competitions, workshops, drawing classes, related seminars, symposiums, conferences, talks and talk shows also take place.

Please follow us at: www.galerishahalam.com for any info about Malaysia Art scene “Art Camp” programme for secondary student in Art Subject at Hulu Selangor for final examination Sijil Penilaian Malaysia (Malaysia Valuation Certificate).

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