The Wedding Guests
April 22, 2014 § Leave a comment
‘THE WEDDING GUESTS,’ 2014, Photo transfer on cloth, thread and embroidery
March has turned out to be a friendly month with my selection to participate in the 4th Zomer Expo to be held at the GEM in The Hague from end of May to August this year. With “Light” as theme, around 1,000 art works were submitted last March 22 during the first round at the Gothic St. Eusebius Church in Arnhem.
All works were judged anonymously and without titles, with the first round proceeding like a carousel in a factory shop. A work will be shown for approximately 15 seconds, with the jury raising their hands for approval to the second round.
The first-round ‘day’ jury selected more than a hundred, and by the end of the day the final six-man jury further narrowed the submissions to 80 works including my piece titled “The Wedding Guests.” “The Wedding Guests,” previously shown at Galerie Bart in Nijmegen, is part of my 2013 series of photo transfers on cloth.
Hoping to see Netherlands-based friends at the Gemeentemuseum (GEM) in The Hague where 260 works will be shown for the annual Zomer Expo from May 29 to August 31!
Additional info at: http://www.zomerexpo.nl
Solo at Art Informal
February 13, 2014 § Leave a comment
ART INFORMAL (AI) is an artist-run gallery in the heart of Metro Manila, located at the pheripery of a residential area. Last February 6 my first solo in the Philippines, titled ‘A Stitch in Time,’ opened at Art Informal, featuring 28 pieces of my enbroidered/stitched photo transfers.
With the creative and enthusiastic support of AI’s Tina Fernandez and Gigi Lapid, AI’s Big Room was transformed into a muted exhibit space that accented the introverted character of my works. AI’s presentation was the right fit and provided a wonderful atmosphere. From the exhibit design down to the typography, all were carefully planned and executed by the AI team.
The works can be grouped into portraits, landscapes and Filipiniana portraiture of the early 20th century. All are vintage photo transfers from antique postcards, digital prints and clippings, with a monochrome palette made up mainly of sepia, light greys and browns hues.The photo transfers are then stitched or embroidered with colored thread, while a few pieces had beaded and cloth reliefs, or are composed of collage cut-outs of the same vintage photo transfers.
The AI exhibit runs until February 24 and coincides with the final three-week of a group exhibit of which I am a part of at Galerie Bart in Nijmegen (The Netherlands), and where I am showing six works (See previous post), also made of vintage photo transfers.
Here are some photos, courtesy of Art Informal, from the exhibit. Thank you to all visitors and to the AI team for a wonderful opening day! And to friends in Manila who have not yet visited AI, catch “A Stitch in Time,” and the two other solo and group exhibits also at AI’s Main Hall and Inner Room.
´The Heart is a Lonely Hunter,“ (2013, photo transfer on cloth with stitching) one of the exhibited works. The title is borrowed from Carson McCullers´ 1940 novel
The link to Art Informal´s website for the full selection of photos, installation views and artist´s statement
New at Galerie Bart
December 16, 2013 § Leave a comment
After a long absence from this blog, I am posting the upcoming exhibit at Galerie Bart in Nijmegen (The Netherlands) where I am joining four other artists for the year-end and 2014 exhibit. Located at Nijmegen’s central shopping district, the Galerie Bart show will open this Saturday, December 21 and will run until February 22, 2014.
Six of my new mixed media works will be shown together with works by artists Jochem Rotteveel, Harry Markusse, Sylvia Evers and Isabelle Wenzel. I am showing my embroidered vintage photo transfers. This show will offer a glimpse of a more expansive solo exhibit in Manila in February next year. My first in Manila, Art Informal (Mandaluyong City) is due to show more than 15 works of my mixed media photos in early February.
Shown here is the piece titled ‘MAURICE,’ one of the six works at Galerie Bart. The five other pieces are individual and group portraits all taken from the early 1900s.
Netherlands-based friends, see you at Bart!
For details, check out the Galerie Bart website at
http://www.galeriebartnijmegen.nl/exposities-galerie-nijmegen.asp?dc=26080&Cat=5004&Mnu=5000
Concordia 3
October 22, 2012 § Leave a comment
Concordia 3, third in a series of sculptural assemblage
After weeks of adjustments and refining, finally got to rest the third piece in the Concordia series. Concordia 3 is a sculptural assemblage made of found metal objects, clay, plastic toys and acrylic paint. A small switch mechanism, also a remnant of and found on a toy, plays a 10-second ditty when switched on– a rather odd addition to the whole piece which looks like a rusted piece of metal object.
I am taking a temporary break from the Concordia series to switch gears for a different kind of sculptural piece which I am preparing for an art exhibit.
Detail, Concordia 3
Concordia 2
October 3, 2012 § Leave a comment
Concordia 2
CONCORDIA 2, the second in the series of mixed assemblage made of plastic toys, clay, wood,metal and acrylic paint. Small moving parts are also incorporated, manually operated through a wind-up key..
This piece will also form part of the seven works to be exhibited next month at the De Buytensael Gallery in Arnhem. It took several weeks to apply the layers of paint and textures, but finally got the right shades. The follow-up piece is currently undergoing the last phase of painting and textures.
Photo below shows a detail.
Concordia 2, detail
Pyn
September 5, 2012 § Leave a comment
Pyn, clay, acrylic paint
PYN, the 16th piece in the current series of child clay heads. An all-clay piece, this work is completed with several layers of acrylic paint.
Acrylic textures were also added in parts, and glossy highlights, using nail transparent polish, were dabbed in small areas. “Pyn” forms part of the next group exhibit I am joining this autumn in Arnhem, the Netherlands.
Ondine
August 27, 2012 § Leave a comment
ONDINE, the 15th piece in the series
ONDINE joins the series of clay child heads. Unlike previous pieces where found objects and other materials were used abudantly, Ondine is mostly clay work, some metal supports and acrylic paint. The summer months are still filled with a long line-up of unfinished work, but at times one needs to step back and look at the pieces with more detachment.
Ondine, the 15th in the series, was born amidst other work still incomplete, nearing completion or in progress. If only we have more than 24 hours!
Wonder
June 18, 2012 § Leave a comment
Art encounter (Photo by Mark Tamea)
I HAD a busy weekend with two art show openings in two cities, with vastly different contexts and audiences.
The first was last Friday at The Hague with the ZomerExpo 2012 (Summer Exposition), the details of which (and photos) I would post in another blog. The second was the following day, June 16, Saturday noon at Bart Kunst in Huis, a gallery located in downtown Nijmegen. Four other artists were involved in the show called “Verzamelingen” (Dutch for “collection” or “accumulation”).
It’s great to see friends and colleagues in settings other than the four walls of the office, in birthday parties or the hospital ward, and this time the context is art. Last Saturday there were many: photographs, collages and drawings, installations and mixed media sculptures and assemblages–the last category covering my own work. I had five pieces in the show some of which are shown in photos here.
Amid the light talk, the mini-reunions and the rituals of an art opening, one does wonder why we pause to look at and appreciate art.
Perhaps part of the answer will be reflected in the banner photo I placed above– that of the girl staring at my work “Erys.” A daughter of a colleague (who is an accomplished artist of music, soundscapes and digital recordings), her photo captures the encounter that eloquently speaks of one of art’s effects: wonder.
My thanks to friends who came over for the opening, to Xera and Simone of Galerie Bart and the support of family.
For friends in the vicinity, Verzamelingen will run until 15 July and will close for the summer break until 13 August, to reopen again from 14 August to September 1 .
Have a nice summer solstice!
Bart show (Photo by Erika Rivera)
Concordia, on view at Bart Kunst in Huis (Photo by Erika RIvera)
Bailey
June 6, 2012 § Leave a comment
Detail of mixed media sculpture ‘Bailey,’ Photo by Xera Alberts/Bart Kunst in Huis
Here are some press photos of my work from Galerie Bart Kunst in Huis in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Bart is opening the themed exhibit “Verzamelingen” (Dutch for ‘Collection‘) on June 16, Saturday. Photographer Xera Alberts has made excellent photos of my work which I will post in this blog in the coming days. Thanks Xera!
Looking forward to see friends and art lovers during the opening!
Mixed media sculpture ‘Bailey’ Photo by Xera Alberts/Bart Kunst in Huis
Bart Kunst
June 1, 2012 § 1 Comment
Digital invitation for ‘Verzamelingen’ at Bart Kunst in Huis
For Netherlands-based friends, visit Bart Kunst which specialises in contemporary art and provides a platform for young artists in the Netherlands. Photo above shows the digital invitation for this exhibit which will run from June 16 to September 8, with a summer break in mid-July to mid-August.
Enjoy the summer!
Wild Heart 
