Moving forward from the contentious past weeks, Marahuyo Art Projects returns with a set of new exhibitions that present varying artistic reflections manifested by explorations of materials, techniques, and stories of personal memories. In particular, our three artists focused and broadened their practice by exploring a different path of art making. They test not only their boundaries but also allowed themselves the freedom to further express their inner selves through their respective sets.

"Matter", then, represents the the particular narratives revealed by and to the artist, in the exploration of methods, materials, and techniques in art making.

Rena Isono is a Japanese artist based in Tokyo who visited Manila for an artist-in-residence program facilitated by BMLab and Joshibi University of Art and Design in early 2020. In this feature, Isono-san presents two distinct traditional Japanese landscape paintings that evoke memories of and connections between Mie, Japan, and Batangas, Philippines. In her project “The Sea of Neighborhood,” she allows us to look at her reflection through a mixture of traditional Japanese painting methods and her own exploration as a contemporary artist today. She reveals a process of distinct differences, formed into one connecting piece.

Gigi Ocampo’s “Introspection” is both a revelation and a breather. She shares her innermost memory of pain, faced amidst the challenges of the pandemic, and her healing process through this series of new works. Gigi, an artist from Cebu, started her career as a painter but has now gravitated to the meditative process of using pencil to narrate her beliefs and purpose as a woman artist in a locality, industry, and society driven mostly by men. She presents a timeline from previously unexperienced grief to blossoming acceptance.

By “Mapping Memories”, Elmer Borlongan contemplates on his daily life through a series of one-of-a-kind monotype prints. This marks his first venture into hand-pulled prints that collectively can be seen as an artist's visual diary of new discoveries. The collection also affirms Borlongan's personal mission to challenge and inspire young Filipino artists to be fearless in their own explorations into their craft and art-making.