Chris Patio before his works including ‘Paglisan’ (bottom, center)
Heritage & Algorithm by Chris Patio runs until March 7 at Vetted Unit 126 , Milelong Building, Makati City
At first glance the sepia-toned paintings of Chris Patio echo the stylistic principles of the Classical Realist Masters, embracing clarity, order, and a striking balance between subject and representation. Blending classical training with contemporary elements, he recreates emotive portraits from culture and history that speak of his personal journey and cultural background.
A closer look at the works brings you to a new level of engagement with algorithmic symbols, specifically Instagram icons and prompts for feedback, as a metaphor for today’s audience.
Algorithms suggest how shifts in points of view emerge and take hold. A most leveraged digital element of our time, algorithms refine what you see based on an input of Likes!
This method underscores the tension between traditional storytelling and the fast, often fragmented, way history is consumed today
By incorporating Instagram icons in his paintings, he highlights how contemporary society can engage with heritage through the lens of technology, particularly social media. This method underscores the tension between traditional storytelling and the fast, often fragmented way history is consumed today. He invites us to reflect on how digital platforms shape our perceptions of the past, and merges his classical technique with modern visual language. In so doing, he reinforces his theme of
culture and belonging as both deeply personal and always evolving.
The title Heritage & Algorithm effectively serves as metaphor for the fusion of traditional fine art and modern technology, in turn, to highlight the things he values most. It celebrates and reminds us of who we were and where we came from. The sentiments the works evoke are powerful. Each brushstroke is invested with a quiet fervor and emotional resonance. Chris presents them like a custodian of cultural heritage, using the paintings to preserve and transmit historical narratives to future generations.
In the sepia-toned, oil-on-linen paintings that replicate archival pre-Colonial and Colonial images, this metaphor becomes particularly highlighted.
Shell, 1995
The meticulous brushstrokes of these paintings lean towards the time-honored techniques of classical art, while the use of Algorithm in the title suggests a modern reinterpretation or systematic approach to these historical subjects. This approach shows how technology can be harnessed to re-examine and re-present cultural heritage, creating a dialogue between the past and the present.
Chris spent his formative years in the Philippines, in the bustling and lively old district of Quiapo. His family had a thriving fresh, cut-flower business that catered to a diverse group of customers, so there would always be something to explore, something that would catch his attention and curiosity.
From a very young age, he was always immersed in all areas of creativity. Quiapo was a treasure trove of folkways and local culture with its seasonal traditions, rituals and a robust entrepreneurial spirit in its markets and rumbunctious hawkers. The family business gave him access to colorful events, civic and social gatherings. At one point, there was a big job order for an art opening at the National Museum. The paintings in that exhibit were done on banana leaves, humble as the material was, viewing them was a life-changing high point for Chris. How could something as ordinary as banana leaves be transformed into beautiful art and installed inside a museum? It was creativity at its very core.
That day, he decided he wanted to become an artist .
Chris went to art school and learned the rudiments of the visual arts. Soon after graduating, the family migrated to the United States. Acculturation inevitably happened, Chris lived in two cultures, but the intent of keeping his mother culture alive lay nascent always waiting to unfold. And it has. ‘
Chris Patio’s ‘Pauwi’ (oil on linen, 26″x32″, 2024) part of the exhibit ongoing at Vetted
Milk Peddler, Oil on linen, 26” x 32”, 2024
Lola, oil on linen, 26” x 32”, 2025
Heritage & Algorithm reminds us that Culture is Life, it is one’s identity, it is persona, no matter where you are.
Chris is partial to Classical Realism, it is a philosphy more than an art movement that invites us to slow down and revel in
the detail. Wandering around museums as often as his schedule allows, he is immersed in significant works that have shaped art history. Chris works within the classical art historical canon but for Heritage & Algorithm he challenges classical boundaries by including Instagram icons. By using the arch (an enduring and celebratory architectural element) as a border; he adds aesthetic value to the entire composition. Using oil on linen he imparts thin translucent layers of paint with fine brushstrokes to achieve depth, luminosity and a play of light and shadows. Sepia comes alive with his soft hairline layering of umbers and blues to create a balance of warm and cool tones.
Colonial photographs often carried embedded ideologies and stereotypes, as they were frequently staged to reinforce certain narratives about colonized peoples. By transforming these photographs into paintings, Chris opens a window to critique and deconstruct these historical biases, now offering new interpretations that challenge the original context. He not only meticulously reclaims the images, but also prompts viewers to reflect on the power dynamics and cultural narratives embedded in historical documentation.
Water Fountain, oil on linen, 26” x 32”, 2024
Aside from celebrating cultural narratives, there are works in the exhibit that are both visually poignant and deeply meaningful to Chris.
When he had to leave his wife and child behind, it was for him, the hardest thing he had ever done
In Paglisan, a woman and child stand by the seashore, the image captures emotions that words fail to express. The figures facing the sea give a sense of longing and hope for a reunion to happen. It tells the story of the Philippine diaspora, Chris experienced this firsthand when he had to leave his wife and child behind, it was for him, the hardest thing he had ever done. A real story that touches the heart, ”Paglisan’ engages because it has emotional resonance.”
The exhibit Heritage & Algorithm reflects a subtle intersection of fine art and technology, offering viewers a nuanced perspective on the subject of heritage—who we are, our values and identity. ” Heritage isn’t just about what’s old but also about what you value. It’s about recognizing the things that define who you are in the present. The Instagram frame in my work symbolizes this balance to illustrate how our identities are shaped by both history and technology and how these forces intersect,” he explains.
Chris with family based in the San Francisco Bay Area
Since then, his family has rejoined him. Chris Patio lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. A product design leader for a cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform that helps businesses manage sales, marketing and customer service.
