'Sweet disposition’
There is an inevitable feeling of joy that one feels when looking at the paintings of young artist Mykie Concepcion. Each of her canvas is splayed with happiness, the kind that is meandering and lasting. The innocence of youth is also present in her artworks, where a world in its most beautiful form is conveyed.
The artist will unselfishly share her world of happiness and plenty via her first solo exhibition titled Sweet Disposition from March 8 to 21 at the ArtistSpace in Ayala Museum, Makati City. Mykie, a realist-impressionist painter, will exhibit 30 of her artworks done in oil, watercolor, pencil and charcoal.
Dad and Mykie, oil on canvas, 51 cm. x 38.5 cm.
“My mom taught me that art should make you happy; that it should make you feel happy,” says Mykie, 24. She and her mom, artist Karen Concepcion, both finished Fine Arts major in Painting at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. In fact, Mykie’s thesis adviser, abstractionist Benjie Cabangis, from whom she “learned a lot,” was also the thesis adviser of Karen. Mykie is also grateful to her other thesis adviser, artist Rey Concepcion.
Her grateful heart is the spawning ground of her happiness. Harvest (oil on canvas, 93.5 cm. x 124 cm.), for example, is an introspection of someone whose heart is filled with gratitude. Harvest is an offering of arugula, kale, potatoes, beets, onions among other produce. It is also the artist’s offering to her Maker who has blessed her with immense talent. The artwork, reminiscent of a scene in a country fair, gives the viewer a feeling of freshness, for that is the feeling one gets when one has a thankful heart.
Relais St. Germain, watercolor on paper, 57 cm. x 42.5 cm.
A slice of life in London — Mykie draws her inspiration from nature and her travels — is evident in Borough Market (oil on canvas, 93.5 cm. x 93.5 cm.). It is another colorful depiction of a fresh harvest. In one corner of the painting is a swathe of black, a “breathing space” as a technique she learned in painting. Methinks it is the artist’s recognition of the hands that tilled the soil and labored hard enough to bring into fruition the produce of the day.
Hard work is a big stamp on one’s passport to success. “My dad also taught me about hard work. That I should always strive for excellence. My dad is hardworking, humble and kind. He teaches me and my siblings those traits by example,” Mykie says of her father, businessman Ton Concepcion. (Ton, who was recently awarded the Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award by the Asian Institute of Management, is also a perceptive photographer. Ton, Karen and Mykie should do a collaborative exhibit one day, perhaps at their classy SMEG store in Makati.)
Borough Market, oil on canvas, 93.5 cm. x 93.5 cm.
In Dad and Mykie (oil on canvas, 51 cm. x 38.5 cm.), Mykie presents the beautiful relationship she shares with her father. The depiction is so real that the artist captures the posture and bearing of her father, including the creases on his blue shirt. More than that, the painting is a beautiful illustration of love, hope, security and bliss.
Her series of Kimono (each in pencil on canvas, 43 cm. x 38 cm.) is a casual yet sensitive study on the lives of geishas — colorful, intuitive, enigmatic, mysterious.
The conspicuous elegance of Paris is unmistakable in Relais St. Germain (watercolor on paper, 57 cm. x 42.5 cm.), which is resplendent in neighborhood sophistication and convivial ambiance. It is so inviting you might just book a stay at the hotel the next time you hop on a plane to Paris.
Fresh Purple Flowers, watercolor on paper, 41.5 cm. x 41.5 cm.
Mykie’s renditions of flowers are so fresh your olfactory membrane smells the blooms. Her Fresh Purple Flowers (watercolor on paper, 41.5 cm. x 41.5 cm.) is ready to entice the senses.
Mykie has the ability to transport the spectators of her works to a place where innocence resides. Her dexterous hands paint scenes of hope and faith. What seems to be meaningless becomes meaningful in the artist’s heart and soul.
“Sweet Disposition is my take on my youth where I capture different memories — simple, joyful, innocent memories,” Mykie concludes. *
Mykie Concepcion’s Kimono series, each in pencil on canvas, 43 cm. x 38 cm.
(Sweet Disposition runs from March 8 to 21 at the ArtistSpace in Ayala Museum, Makati City.)
(For your new beginnings, e-mail me at bumbaki@yahoo.com. I’m also on Twitter @bum_tenorio and Instagram @bumtenorio. Have a blessed Sunday!)
