MANILA, Philippines - You can’t deny that our moms are our number one homies.
No one else has been there with us from the beginning, or knows just what makes us feel better (food and 13-hour naps, naturally). Of course, they also know what annoys us to no end (nagging us about our messy rooms), but it’s all part of why we love them.
It’s this deep and lasting bond of motherhood that inspired artists and mother-and-son Mayi and Tokwa Peñaflorida for their duo show “Pietà” opening Jan. 28. The exhibit is named after Michaelangelo’s famed “La Pietà” sculpture, which depicts the Virgin Mary clutching onto her son Jesus Christ after he died on the cross.
Mayi and Tokwa’s paintings follow a similar thread. The mother and son’s oil paintings show mothers and their children in various poses, each one highlighting how this relationship is one that is loving and nurturing. Dark and evocative, the paintings highlight the artists’ vastly different styles. They may come from the same family tree, but their individual aesthetics vastly branch out—Mayi is known for transforming the human body with enlarged heads and svelte limbs, while Tokwa paints with dark and dreamy brush strokes.
Even the sneak peek of the exhibit—a dreamy oil painting of the aforementioned Michaelangelo piece—is enough to whet any art lover’s appetite. It’ll certainly be worth seeing how this mother and son duo collaborate to create something so visually arresting. After all, we do work best when our homies are right by our side.
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“Pietà” opens on Jan. 28, 2015 at Vinyl on Vinyl, 2nd floor, Warehouse 2, Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City.