Montera’s Introspections

CEBU, Philippines - The definitive driving force that scores the aesthetic sensibilities of Cebuano abstract expressionist Dennis “Sio” Montera yields compelling visuals that bear undertones of euphoria and ennui.

A forerunner in the development of contemporary abstraction in Cebu, Montera opened his 20th solo show on August 10 in Qube Gallery at The Crossroads in Banilad with pieces that tell a story without need for a storyline.

The show, titled “A State of Introspection,” takes its theme from Montera’s forays in the creative arts field in the last two decades, within which he built and continues to build his creative oeuvre.

A graduate of the Fine Arts Program of the University of the Philippines Cebu, he is currently finishing his Doctorate in Creative Industries Design in the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. The two places confront Montera with creative parallels, as Tainan City in Taiwan and Cebu City in the Philippines share certain similarities in terms of economic roles, historical background, and a number of developing creative communities.

What the artist has “seen” in Cebu and in Tainan parts brought forth the introspections that he brings to this show, captured on canvas. Montera uses combinations of texturizing, stippling and etching techniques in the pieces in the exhibit, which runs until the first week of September.

With the process-over-content ethos that embodies abstract expressionism, the artist noticeably treads on creative spontaneity in creating the works, in capturing what otherwise only intuition and emotion can perceive. (FREEMAN)