Ayka Go, ‘Collage Study,’ 2022
Silverlens presents mirrors, merging, an exhibition of new works by Catalina Africa, on view July 25-Aug. 22, 2026. mirrors, merging is Catalina Africa’s new body of paintings that step into the innerscape of a life in transition. The world is seen and called anew, as Catalina precipitates otherworldly territories into works that test flow forms, dissolution, and the slow collapse of inner terrain into the landscape it mirrors. Five paintings in mirrors, merging are the steles that surround this mystery, registering a painter’s devotional process in thresholds where shape gathers form.
Across the five works, recurring motifs—a tree held steady through shifting fields, water settling into stillness, structures that channel flow toward its own vitality—trace an unfolding process, each painting a stage in what might be called a personal rite: space claimed, ground prepared, correspondences gathered, energy raised, and finally, release.
mirrors, merging marks a turn in Catalina Africa’s practice, following her previous exhibitions Shrine in the Shape of a Shadow and Earth Body Bukid. Where those bodies of work mapped the edges of the unfamiliar, this new show steps fully into surrender. Painting as tether, negotiation, and inventory of a self still becoming. – Siddharta Perez
Also on view on the same dates is small vast things, a solo exhibition by Ayka Go. As one of the most enduring symbols of metamorphosis, the butterfly emerged as a central figure through which Ayka could consider her own experiences of unsettling change that surfaced in her 30s, including a range of health-related issues. By observing the butterfly’s brief lifespan (often lasting only several days or weeks depending on the species), she was struck by its capacity to contribute meaningfully to the vitality of an ecosystem despite its transience.
This realization prompted a reconsideration of her own productivity and purpose. She stopped measuring value or fulfillment through conventional expectations and embraced the possibility of cultivating alternative ways to contribute through artistic practice and personal growth. – Stephanie Frondoso
Both shows run until August 22, 2026. Silverlens Galleries Manila is at 2263 Don Chino Roces Avenue Extension, Makati City 1231, and is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm.
