Joyen Santos’ ‘Rope Studies’ at the bar@1951

MANILA, Philippines - Joyen Santos  artist, filmmaker and The Black Vomits lead singer  explores Japanese-style bondage or kinbaku in a series of photographs in “Rope Studies,” which opens on July 20, 8 p.m., at the bar@1951, Adriatico St., Malate.

The opening reception features band performances by The Black Vomits, River, Shoulder State, Pocket Full Of, and The Garceaus.

Santos calls her photographs the “kinks in one’s armor.” She explains, “First off, I grew up with surrealist painters from UP CFA and anime so I had to be obsessed with Nobuyoshi Araki later on. The fascinating thing is that he does the rope work in his own photographs because he claims that he ‘only ties up a woman’s body because he cannot tie up her heart.’ Rope binding is a delicate and beautiful form of bondage designed to frame a woman in a state of either submission or domination.”

The show, on view until Aug. 20, is supported by The Uncoloured and Jessica K. Rebueno-Santos.