Mark Justiniani
MANILA, Philippines – With a prolific list of exhibitions and accolades, both locally and abroad, Mark Justiniani is a much-respected figure in the arts. Much like a storyteller, he creates his own brand of fiction that carries the weight of memory, tradition, time, and history, both intimate and public.
Man has always been a primary element in Justiniani’s works. Regardless of his actual presence in his depictions, a sense of humanity persists, whether in his dream-like portrayals of man’s existential struggles or his allegorical depictions of socio-political landscapes. It spells out a shared experience, a link among people in spite of difference in status or generation. In the same breath, he also fosters a level of criticality through his infusion of symbolism and commentaries. His art seems to be unbound by time, yet is grounded in it. His distinct language of surrealism and figuration transcends the space from which it emerges. It carries a truth that although founded in the present, remains pertinent for years to come. Much like his imagery, his interests extend beyond the mundane. Explorations of the past, present, and future, of time being bent, of creating realities, all manifest in his pieces.
Adept in both the flat and three-dimensional media, he is not restrained by method and is able to let meaning take precedence. With a notable combination of masterful technique and insightful creativity, a maturity is revealed in his manner of layering and weaving narratives together. Like a magician, he conjures illusions that balance both wit and gravitas.
As part of the 2016 Art Fair Philippines: Special Exhibitions, Justiniani presents once more his “Infinity” series. In this installation, he recreates a chamber-like space. In this play of perception, and of light and shadow, visitors are made to enter a fractured vision of objects and figures that are at the same time multiple yet singular, deep but shallow. This is an experiment in reality. And in entering such vessel, an emptiness and a fullness linger. In the dark, images are highlighted further, along with the depth that it carries.
