“Potencias”

CEBU, Philippines — This month, the artworks of Anton Del Castillo, Jerson Samson and Riel Hilario are in the spotlight at Qube Gallery in the exhibit titled “Potencias.” 

In the past several years, these exhibiting artists have made their marks in the country’s contemporary arts scene.

Comprising the exhibit that’s ongoing until November 4 are works that are mainly molded by the question “Where does the power of creative work come from?” – saying something about the truth in the axiom “There is no such thing as art, only artists.”

Equal parts decorative and thought-provoking, the show’s curatorial scope dips into the concept of “pathos,” not necessarily as the Greek word for “suffering” but more as a term which refers to the communication technique that plays up rhetorical musings by appealing to the emotions.

Underscored by thematic elements that are often met in iconography, the show’s featured works essentially clinch its exhibiting talents’ thoughts, sentiments and inhibitions on various topics and themes, all-in-all serving as a platform for them to imbue their personal thoughts and opinions into works of art.

As the terms “unpredictable” and “wild” have become buzzwords to describe what many artists are churning up nowadays, the same could be applied to the works featured in “Potencias.”

What makes the application different in the case of “Potencias” lies in the pace its three exhibiting artists are treading on with the trend – which leads on as opposed to following through.