I was invited to attend the CONTINUUM art exhibit hosted by Art Lounge Manila at Galerie Raphael-Davao, Azuela Cove. I chose to visit this exhibit since I enjoy arts and crafts. I felt exactly like a child at a candy store. It's something I want to explore while I'm still in primary school, and I thought it would be cool to view paintings in a different form or perspective.
When I entered the exhibit for the first time, I was greeted by a large sign that read "CONTINUUM" and provided background information about the first collaboration between Art Lounge Manila and Galerie Raphael Davao, its artists, and a few of the paintings that have contributed to the exhibit over the years.
Some of these paintings are from Carlo Magno, he is famous of his works as the Abstract Minimalist "BENEATH THE PALE MOONLIGHT" painting.
Also include in the exhibition are Louie Ignacio's colorful expressions, Tet Aligaen's strong watercolor botanicals, Migs Villanueva's whimsical figurative work, and Roel Obemio's distinctive vignettes and figures. Anna De Leon, Anthony Palo, Francis Nacion, Herbert Pajarito, Jef Cablog, Jinggoy Salcedo, Jonathan Dangue, Kristine Lim, Melissa Yeung Yap, Pepe Mendoza, and Rodel Buban are also featured in the exhibition.
Visiting the exhibition allowed me to view the paintings differently. Instead of flipping through them like a magazine, I truly paid attention to the details, the artist's painting style, and their possible meaning. Each of Anthony Palo, Migs Villanueva, Francis Nacion, and Roel Obemio's paintings, for instance, evokes an emotional response when viewed.
Each painting focuses primarily on human expression and the lives of its subjects. The color background and the in-depth thought contribute to the paintings' mood, and the topic is effectively conveyed. Additionally, the paintings of Anthony Palo and Migs Villanueva convey a feeling of individuality, and you can experience their emotions via their work. I believe this is the reason why these images stood out to me so much: simply glancing at it fascinates and draws you in.
I also learnt things that I had never known before, such as the fact that the Filipino television director, film director, and music video director Direct Louie Ignacio was also a painter. This was something that I had never known before.
I enjoyed how the paintings were presented throughout the space; all of the walls were covered with paintings, with large Carlo Magno paintings adorning the longest front walls. On the other walls were paintings by different artists, while at the room's corners and in the middle of the floors were Brass, Acrylic on Canvas by Jonathan Dangue and Jinggoy Salcedo's stainless steel and glass sculptures.
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| Jinggoy Salcedo's stainless steel and glass sculptures |
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| Brass, Acrylic on Canvas by Jonathan Dangue |
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| Brass, Acrylic on Canvas by Jonathan Dangue |
The room's layout enhanced the exhibit by allowing visitors to have a closer look at the paintings hanging on the walls. Each painting was a varied size, which contributed to the variety of shapes and styles. The room's walls were painted white, which accentuated the artworks' hues. The colors are so vibrant that they jump out at you as soon as you see them, making it impossible to ignore the paintings. This show and the artists' use of color was fantastic; they didn't utilize dull and uninteresting hues, but rather hues that provoked thought and kept the viewer engaged.
I believe that the positioning of the artworks in the exhibition was intended to attract visitors. Next to the large sign that provided an overview of the exhibit was a smaller sign that provided a brief description of the display. This large sign outside the Galerie Raphael Davao announcing "CONTINUUM" would draw a large number of visitors to the exhibition. And this signage did not disappoint; the background is white, and the gold-colored lettering of the word CONTINUUM has a spotlight on it, making it the focal point of the event because it is the first thing you notice when you look at it. I appreciate the area since it is located in Azuela Cove; I like how they arranged the exhibit space because it provides the public a dramatic feeling.
Other works by Ricky Francisco, Jef Cablog, Janus Delacruz, Melissa Yeung Yap, Herbert Pajarito, Rodel Buban, and Anna De Leon caught my eye and struck me as interesting. I adore the overall concept of each of their paintings, which are filled with people and animals that resemble an abstract tribe, especially Tet Aligaen's "HAPYAK SERIES" paintings of a flower and leaves.
It appears to be an amusing image, as if there was a party going on. The radiance of the flowers and leaves is the first thing that draws my attention because the light in the room reflects directly off of them. It's particularly intriguing because Ms. Aligaen painted it with coolness and gentleness, producing a fantastic outcome. The other artwork is by Anna De Leon, and I enjoy her use of color in her paintings.
It has a minimalistic appearance, which is highly popular with the current generation. This specific collection of paintings piqued my interest because I immediately recognized its purpose upon viewing them.
I would recommend this exhibit to anyone who like arts and crafts, since it provides a unique viewpoint on how iconic paintings can be simply by how they are displayed. Visiting this exhibit and viewing the paintings, sculptures, etc., made me realize how much the arts have evolved since the days when you could only draw. And that would be the only copy, otherwise they wouldn't be able to capture the movement in the paintings, or even get the exact hue or figure. The exhibition space has also shown me how things have changed, how artists have evolved in their area, and how this has impacted the concepts and thoughts they would have to showcase their work at home. This exhibition helped to my understanding of the history of the arts and crafts by demonstrating how past artwork has progressed and influenced what we can achieve today. It demonstrated how paintings and sculptures can be used to convey tales, how a position or facial expression may lend meaning to a piece, and how you can interpret things as you view them.
I encourage you to take part in this celebration of art and creativity, visit Galerie Raphael present the show Continuum, which features the resulting collection. The artists' reception was held yesterday, September 3, and it was attended by art enthusiasts and local Davao Artists. The exhibition will continue until September 14, 2022 at Galerie Raphael - Davao, located at Unit 2, Retail Block 2, R. Castillo, Lanang, Davao City.
Please visit Galerie Raphael's social media accounts at Facebook: galerieraphaeldavao and Instagram: galerieraphaeldavao for additional details. For inquiries, call +63 998 888 1531 or email: galerieraphaeldavao@gmail.com
