Exhibitions

Flowers symbolize optimism and hopefulness in a kaleidoscope of radiant colors. In visual art, the blooming of flowers, in particular, has inspired generations of artists to capture lighthearted cheerfulness. Whether painted as still-lifes or en plein air, flowers provide an enduring metaphor of life.

This flower exhibit gathers works from the flora aspects of the practices of well-known Modern and Contemporary artists. Of note is the inclusion of works by Presidential Medal of Merit Awardee Juvenal Sanso, whose vision of the floral still-life is brilliantly surreal, hauntingly gorgeous, and unlike anything else before it. Sanso himself credits his approach to flora to an art teacher in Paris, Edouard Goerg: “Professor Goerg must have felt my transformation, for one day, he said that I did my dramatic subject very well (coincidentally his type of work was very much like my expressionistic depictions), but he requested me to do a flower. Seeing my negative frown, he said: ‘Do it your own way; I wish to see the other side of you.’ Since the mid-Fifties, I have not stopped doing flowers!”

Also included are works by Felix Tiglao, Karina Baluyut, Caress Banson, Antonio Daleon and Isabel Campa. Tiglao brings a close-up, macro-level compositional direction to his respective work, showcasing his skill in bringing out the minute details of his subjects. “A Pink Spring” is definitive of his floral works, exhibiting a nuanced palette and controlled brushwork. Baluyut, on the other hand, favors an Expressionistic approach, with large swaths revealing the joy she feels when painting gardens. “Cascade” demonstrates this style, being both exuberant in look and feminine in feel. Similar in aesthetic is Caress Banson, whose own Expressionist sensibilities is more subdued. Daleon’s technique mirrors an understanding of graphic design and the history of French art deco and streamline moderne. Isabel Campa, on the other hand, first developed her skills in watercolor before venturing to the deeper hues of acrylic, giving her works a characteristic fluidity mixed with a definitive vibrance that is indicative of her mastery of the gentle yet hard-to-control medium .

The Flores exhibition is a great way to examine how artists understand and depict the beauty and symbolism of flowers from a good range of approaches. The exhibit runs at The Atrium of the Podium Mall, along ADB Avenue in Mandaluyong City from June 3-7 and from June 8-12 at Galerie Joaquin Podium located at the lower ground level. For more information, please call Galerie Joaquin at (632)634-7954.

also if any of them are not listed on the artist page, please see info for upload per artist as well:

Karina Baluyut

Karina Baluyut is an Architecture graduate of the University of the Philippines and a topnotcher in the architectural board exams in 2004. This background in non-linear abstractions that architecture represents enabled her examination in the junction of emotion and the merging of color, shapes, and forms. With the eye of a skilled draftswoman and the sensitivity of a poet, Baluyut constructs new visual realities within the realm of abstraction and reveals the depth of her emotional resonance in works that carry the weight of dissonance, memory, and the awareness of the passage of time. Baluyut uses her own grasp of hues and texture in an exhibit that is a continuation of her acclaimed series of tropical flora and tides. An expressionist, Baluyut’s technique emphasizes emotion over mimesis, surrounding the viewer with an aura of a calming vigor that reflects the array of emotions each new season brings.

Antonio Daleon III

Coming from his 9th solo show in 2015, Antonio Daleon III (b.1971) is one of the more prolific artists in the country today. His works have been exhibited in numerous art exhibits in the Philippines and abroad, including shows in Caracas, Venezuela and Washington DC, USA. His work has been cited by art critics as a prime example of Philippine “Mood Art,” bringing to his collectors a feeling of energy and positivity.

His works are primarily inspired by the nuances of butterflies. "Just like the beauty I see on the wings of butterflies, I see an integration of realistic and abstract elements in my works,” the artist says. “I paint through an emotion of joy and optimism, deeply respecting nature.” Daleon built an oeuvre on the best traditions of the 1920’s German secession movement, Alphonse Mucha, and Gustav Klimt. A product of the University of Santo Tomas, Daleon’s works have been featured in a number of published materials like The Collection of Ageless Arts in 2006 and Philart International Edition in 2007.

You see this approach his recent works, bringing the clarity of lines in complete harmony with the floating butterflies, flowers and leaves. The morning sun, bringing energy and dynamism to the work, lights the garden scene brightly. In contrast, his works too, display the artist’s command of subtlety, depicting the fleeting nature of dusk in a manner that calms the soul.

Felix Tiglao

Felix Tiglao’s essential series of floral compositions tackle still-lifes in unique and thrilling ways. He combines it with the Expressionist sensibilities he is becoming known for. Tiglao brings something new to floral compositions. He presents works that modulates the colors pinks and yellow as accents to a pure white bouquet. His use of colors denotes feeling—in this case, tranquility and calm. Already well-known for his fantastic Filipiniana scenes but in this exhibition he literally zooms-in on this subject, giving us close-up ‘macro’ floral paintings, as the soft red of the petals blend in with the pollinated central core—each crease and line painstakingly and mimetically replicated with a stunning technique.