The West Gallery in Quezon City has become a nexus of Filipino artistic exploration, unveiling five simultaneous exhibitions born from the energy of the recent ALT ART festival. These aren’t simply displays; they’re immersive journeys into the minds and experiences of a diverse group of artists, each offering a unique perspective on memory, nature, and the modern world.
Carina Santos’ work anchors one room, a captivating blend of painted landscapes and textured collages. Her pieces don’t present a single vision, but rather a multifaceted exploration of form and environment, inviting viewers to consider the shifting nature of perception itself.
Nearby, Nicole Tee’s curated collection, “Wish You Were Here,” unfolds as a vibrant tapestry of postcards created by 28 artists. These aren’t just images of scenery; they’re intimate glimpses into personal worlds, a nostalgic nod to a time when handwritten notes bridged distances and shared experiences.
Tee’s own exhibition, “to feel small,” takes a different approach to the natural world. Using thread and photo transfer on linen, she meticulously recreates the grandeur of landscapes, inspired by the challenge and awe of rock climbing. The textures she creates are strikingly tactile, drawing the eye closer to appreciate the intricate details.
Eunice Sanchez’s “Coming To This” delves into the ethereal realm of memory. Her ink-on-canvas images are fragmented and non-linear, echoing the elusive nature of recollection. The work stems from a deeply personal experience – her mother’s sighting of a “dancing sun” in 1993, and Sanchez’s own pilgrimage to the same location decades later.
“To put it simply, the body of work is my way of mapping out the experience,” Sanchez explained. The resulting pieces, rendered in monochrome tones with delicate threads woven through them, represent the gaps and silences within memory, the spaces where meaning resides.
Luigi Singson’s mixed-media installation, “Squared Lives,” offers a stark commentary on contemporary urban existence. A towering vertical structure displays a fragmented cityscape, juxtaposing high-rise buildings with intimate interior spaces. The installation is subtly supported by Jenga-like bricks, a visual metaphor for the precarious balance of modern society.
Singson’s work reflects a keen observation of human behavior. “My view of the city is that everyone tries to get away with something, little by little,” he shared. “It’s still standing, but once the last brick is removed, everything could fall down.” The installation’s square format mirrors the endless scroll of social media feeds, further emphasizing the themes of connection and isolation.
Hidden within the installation, a piece of debris from the demolished Capitol Theater in Escolta serves as a poignant reminder of the city’s lost history. It’s a subtle yet powerful symbol of the tensions between progress and preservation, individuality and community.
Santos, too, challenges conventional notions of artistic boundaries. Her exhibition, “Other Versions,” presents her “pour paintings” alongside seemingly disparate works – knitted textiles, watercolor landscapes, and collaged canvases. By showcasing these diverse mediums together, she aims to redefine what art can be, blurring the lines between “serious” pursuits and more accessible forms of expression.
These five exhibitions, each a world unto itself, collectively demonstrate the vibrant and evolving landscape of Filipino art. They are a testament to the power of individual vision and the enduring human need to explore, remember, and connect.
The exhibits “Wish You Were Here,” “Coming To This,” “to feel small,” “Squared Lives,” and “Other Versions” are on view until March 21 at West Gallery, located at 48 West Ave., Quezon City.
