Sometimes, we need a break from the mainstream. Find refuge, then, in the cultural equivalent to the city spa: the art gallery.
Sure, these small pockets of culture don’t offer oil rubs and warm baths. But trust us when we say that looking at art that pleases you calms the nerves just as much as scented candles do. Next time you need a breather, find art from wherever you are, and check these exhibitions out when you can.
Art Informal
Hurt Anatomies by Ian Fabro
Here’s what Dante’s Inferno might’ve looked like if it were in black and white. Inky, dark, and an ode to Medieval body standards—Ian Fabro’s series of penned works might just be an elaborate depiction of a more complex inner turmoil. Accompanied by poet Mookie Lacuesta’s “Severities,” Hurt Anatomies could be the visual representation of spirits torn by separation and unrequited longing.
This Day We Completely Lost Sight of Land by Jan Balquin
Landscape paintings got an upgrade. What used to be idyllic backdrops in your antique houses have been reimagined by Jan Balquin into patches of land suggestive of her personal musings. In here, she challenges our familiarity with landscapes—those natural sceneries almost always taken literally—by recreating them through photos and images, that, ironically, usually take them at face value.
J’Adore by Jia Santos-Estrella
Art has always mirrored a part of us. And for Jia Santos-Estrella, hers speak of her many curiosities. Family, fashion, architecture, travel, and design—Jia weaves this into a furniture line that captures her penchant for whimsy and innate charm. A continuation of her first solo exhibition back in 2012, J’Adore is composed of salvage furniture turned into unique creations abundant with geometric patterns, images from nature, and a spectrum of colors.
All exhibitions will run until Oct. 17 at the Art Informal gallery. 277 Connecticut St. Mandaluyong City. Opens at 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information, visit their website.
UP Vargas Museum
Notes from the New World by Mark Salvatus
Reliving memory doesn’t always mean lingering in loss. In Mark Salvatus’ case, he weaves a new narrative of the bygone legend The Philippine Constabulary Band. set in a contemporary context and told with a modern medium. Videos, objects, and photographs will pay tribute to the , a storied name in both the military and music scene. While most nostalgic art contains sadness, this is a vibrant celebration of a history that endured.
The exhibition will run until Nov. 6 at the U.P. Vargas Museum 1/F and 3/F Galleries, respectively. University of the Philippines Diliman, Roxas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. Open from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit their website.
Prism Gallery
Short Stories: An Exhibition of Photographs and Fiction in a Hurry by Giselle P. Kasilag
Narratives exist even in the most unlikely places. And journalist-turned-artist Giselle P. Kasilag wants to make these stories known. Armed with the precise language of a writer and a heightened sense toward visual cues, she returns to photography, letting this medium aid her storytelling. The photos capture her time in different places, always successfully seizing moments that are, otherwise, hard to grasp.
The exhibition will run until Oct. 24 at the Prism Gallery. G/F Island Tower Condominium, 239 Salcedo St., Makati. Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit their website.