Lucid Illuminations

CEBU, Philippines - With misnomers like “a wrong mistake” and “flawed and wrong errors,” two art exhibits, “Lucid” and “Illuminations,” seem to be well on point.

Essentially, the debut shows of seven fine arts students, the exhibits hint on what a new crop of Cebuano talents are bringing to the table – what shifts and shuffles they intend to cause in the prevailing creative arts consciousness.

The exhibits feature the works of graduating UP-Cebu Fine Arts students Ferdinand Aragon, Justin Giancarlo Gonzales, Kartoshka, Jasmine Mae Laran, Yeshua Caleo Napolereyes, Abigail Pahang and Ninianne Sojor.

 “Lucid”

May 9 to 19, Mountain Wing Atirum, SM Seaside City

Like the multi-veiled meaning of the word “lucid”, this exhibit was scored by how perspective plays a role in framing what is, can and should be seen – how a point of view is determined by how lucid or distracted a viewer is at the time of an artwork’s viewing.

Presenting works that are made with non-traditional creative mediums, each of the show’s pieces were modeled by traditional methods and techniques – an amalgamation that harps on the relationship between an artist, his art, the viewer and the signs-of-the- times, and how that relationship changes when personal contexts are added into or taken out of the mix.

“Illuminations”

May 16 to 31, Rizal Memorial Library and Museum

Visual representations of personal inhibitions, fears and aspirations are among the themes of this show – the clinchers that impart a sense of oneness that art lovers typically look for in creative exhibitions.

Raw and unabridged, the show’s exhibiting artists take it upon themselves to display what many, if not all, are fearful of and are yearning for – illuminating a commonality that’s shared by everyone.

As group shows, both “Lucid” and “Illuminations” tread on the pathways that are directed by the batons of creative individuality; exhibits that feature different creative views in one go.

But as varied as the shows’ featured artists and artworks, these are made one by the balance brought about by epiphanies – in realizing that the universe is changing without a single atom being moved. (FREEMAN)