Tessie Duldulao at SM Art Center
MANILA, Philippines - Gallerie CMG presents “Tessie Duldulao: Living a Still Life” at the SM Art Center on Dec. 18. This is a choice collection of works by an artist who has devoted her art exclusively to the still life.
Of Duldulao’s works, art critic Cid Reyes has written an appreciation which itself serves as an invitation to relish the unique pleasures of her art:
“Looking at her works is like walking into someone’s garden gate, then past the wooden door of a quiet domicile, and even before the hostess comes out, the visitor is welcomed by a blissful profusion of colors, caught between luxury and restraint, an unexpected visual feast.
A Duldulao still life is a study in disciplined composition, where a table takes center stage. Always the table is dressed with a cascade of lacey drapery, the native callado, together with an arrangement of a few objects: primarily a vessel of blooming flowers: lilies, carnations, daisies, roses, anthurium, baby’s breath, lilies of the valley, chrysanthemums, everlasting…
We are awakened to a burst of saturated colors: deep incarnadine reds, blushing pinks, sunny yellows, luscious oranges, royal magentas. These sizzling blooms are then contrasted with Chinese ceramics, some fruits, a book, a ceramic duck, a native woven basket, or a dainty teacup. This leads the viewer to a fascinating study in contrasting textures. Behind is a window from which a lambent light shines through, directing subtle shades and shadows, But from these relatively few objects, Duldulao orchestrates a vision of order and harmony, delighting the eye and the spirit, summoning our admiration and gratitude. The novelist Pearl Buck has words that aptly describe a guiding principle in a Duldulao still life: “Order is the shape upon which beauty depends.”
The artist’s medium of choice is pastel, a pure powdered pigment combined with a binder. The French Impressionists favored the use of this medium, notably Degas, who delineated his numerous ballet dancers with pastels.
For inquiries, call Gallerie CMG at 873-5904; 871-9765; or +6399-89617478. Gallerie CMG is at Km. 18, Polylte Bldg., Alabang-Zapote Road (across Uniwide), Talon II, Las Piñas City.
