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Six artists in search of a theme
may well be said of the works gathered together in
Ukay-Ukay, the group show set for viewing at Hiraya
Gallery on September 5 to 20. But in truth this is
a diverse collection, not just in artistic styles
but also temperaments, that frees itself from the
limitations of a homogeneous outlook. And while the
title of the exhibit connotes a certain whimsicality,
there is none of that in the serious concerns and
attitudes of its participants.
Ukay-Ukay presents over a dozen
new and previously unexhibited works in different
mediums, with the six artists-namely, Leonard Aguinaldo,
Valeria Cavestany, Mario de Rivera, Fernando Escora,
Ige Ramos, and Francisco Pellicer Viri-coming up with
two to three each.
Readily identifiable in the group
show are the works of Viri, who has two-The
Surge of the Lunatic Spirits and The Forbidden
Truths which can only reinforce his reputation
as an irreconcilable cynic. But there are artists
in it who can depart from their favored images and
recreate their artistic selves somewhat.
For instance, while retaining, if
not revivifying, the ethnic character of the Cordillera
in two of his three contributions, Aguinaldo comes
up in the third, Memorial
to a Poisoned Dog, with a witty and ingenuously
engaging picture whose esthetic appeal goes beyond
his ethno-cultural confines.
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