A new exhibition opening this April in Ortigas is inviting visitors to slow down and question what they think they see.
Artist Jeff Siscar (photo by Kevin Pineda, Ma+ke Lab Manila)
Squares of Water, the first solo exhibition of Filipino visual artist and architect Jeff Siscar, curated by Ric Gindap, opens on April 11 at SPRUCE Gallery. The show brings together a series of paintings that explores the tension between structure and uncertainty, using architectural forms, suspended figures, and shifting perspectives.
The title itself sets the tone. Water, by nature, resists boundaries. To contain it within a square suggests order, but also contradiction. That tension runs through the exhibition, where spaces appear clear at first glance, only to shift upon closer look.
‘Echoes of Self,’ 36 in x 36 in, oil on canvas
‘Let The Current Take You,’ 36 in x 36 in, oil on canvas
Siscar, who trained in architecture at the University of Santo Tomas and is now a principal architect and co-founder of Celllo Design Collective, approaches painting with a strong sense of structure. But instead of resolving space, his works often leave it open. Lines guide the eye, then hesitate and surfaces suggest depth, then pull away.
Viewers may notice subtle references to artists such as M.C. Escher, René Magritte, Giorgio de Chirico, and Salvador Dalí, particularly in the way space and perception are handled. Figures appear within these environments, often alone, caught in moments of pause or transition.
‘The Quiet Dive,’ 16 in x 20 in, oil on canvas
Water plays a recurring role throughout the exhibition. It reflects, distorts, and sometimes absorbs, creating scenes that feel both familiar and uncertain. The result is a series of images that invites viewers to look closely and to stay with that sense of ambiguity a little longer.
Rather than offering clear answers, Squares of Water encourages a more personal response. Where do you place yourself within these spaces?
The exhibition runs until May 8 at SPRUCE Gallery, UG3 City & Land Mega Plaza, ADB Avenue corner Garnet Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines, tel. no. (+632) 8364-5280, email sprucegalleryph@gmail.com.
