From September 28 to October 11, Salcedo Private View is running an eagerly awaited show that brings together kindred spirits who have witnessed each other’s artistic journey over the years. Titled misfits in the afternoon and curated by Nilo Ilarde, the exhibition features eight contemporary artists of note—Ronald Achacoso, Francesca Enriquez, Pardo de Leon, Jet Melencio, Aleth Ocampo, Dan Raralio, Popo San Pascual, and Reg Yuson—whose works span different mediums and styles.
misfits in the afternoon curator Nilo Ilarde
All of the featured artists are self-described misfits in Philippine art, inhabiting an artistic universe where they choose to be liberated from the conventional construct and commercial dictates to carve their own individual paths. They have a common creative ground— all graduated from the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Fine Arts, where they were mentored by Roberto Chabet, who left an invaluable imprint on the development of contemporary art in the country.
The challenge of staging such a diverse exhibition fell on the shoulders of one of the country’s esteemed curators, Nilo Ilarde. Just like the artists participating in the show, Ilarde graduated from UP Fine Arts and has exhibited his works, apart from pursuing a curatorial practice. Their shared experience as artists along with Ilarde’s familiarity with each of the participants’ works, having curated some of their solo exhibitions, gives him an intimate curatorial perspective.
The works are loosely staged around Salcedo Auctions’ main gallery sprawl, which is subdivided with panels, all painted pristine white. The paintings and sculptures, which show a multiplicity of stylistic and thematic preferences, cohabit the space to achieve a sense of harmony while still preserving the participants’ artistic voices. It also gives the viewer a transitional moment before moving on to the next piece, allowing the free spirits of Philippine art’s alternative world to shine.
They have a common creative ground, having graduated from the UP College of Fine Arts, where they were mentored by Roberto Chabet
Browse the catalogue:
Ronald Achacoso with Recombinant Painting
Ronald Achacoso regards his works as “analogs to the hidden order and processes that occur in the natural world.” He takes us to the deep depths of water bodies in Benthic Zone, and draws parallels between modern technology and biological forms in a painting titled Messenger.
Pardo de Leon’s subjects come from the impulse of the moment. The binding thesis of her works on show, though, reveals her leanings toward the lighting and subjects of the European Old Masters as well as the more modern thick impasto strokes.
Francesca “Keka” Enriquez’s participation marks a return after a long absence from the Philippine art scene. While previously associated with interior vignettes, Enriquez explores the outdoors in two landscaping paintings which bear her robust expressionist style.
Jet Melencio’s artistry is a continuous exploration of his craft, finding its way from music to performance art and the visual arts in its myriad forms of expressions. This time, Melencio presents a mixed media piece in a series of woven drawings that have been transformed into synthetic images through digital processing and mounted on raw canvas.
Aleth Ocampo beside her Cupboard Series 2
Aleth Ocampo’s canvas works reveal the palette and less formal strokes of the great impressionist painters she admires, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne, as well the distorted perspective of the Expressionists. The works on show are inspired by a long-standing interest in ceramics that is rooted in her mother’s own collections that she grew up with.
Popo San Pascual with his Chelsea series
Popo San Pascual’s Chelsea series was completed years after his New York residency. Inspired by Piet Mondrian’s last uncompleted piece, Victory Boogie Woogie, the artist expresses nostalgia for the city in rhythmic geometries and bombastic colors.
Dan Raralio with one of his Mental Block masterpiece series
Sculptor and painter Dan Raralio presents three iterations of his sculpture Mental Block, which received the Award of Excellence at the 3rd OITA Asian Sculpture Open Competition and Exhibition at the Fumio Asakura Sculpture Park in Oita, Japan, back in 1997.
Reg Yuson beside his sculpture Obelisk 2
There is both tension and harmony in Reg Yuson’s Obelisk 2, deftly conveyed with the combination of organic material—adobe rock that he found in his own property—juxtaposed against the cold character of stainless steel.
In partnership with HSBC, Salcedo Private View presents misfits in the afternoon exhibition from Thursday, September 28 to Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at the Salcedo Auctions main gallery, NEX Tower, 6786 Ayala Avenue, Makati City. Visit the gallery for preview from Tuesdays to Fridays, 9AM-6PM and Fridays, 9AM-4PM. For more information, visit the Salcedo Auctions website or send an email to info@salcedoauctions.com or phone (+63917) 825-7449, (+63917) 591-2191, and (+63 917) 107-5581.
Pardo de Leon with her oil on canvas Flaxen (diptych)
