A Look Into Julie Lluch’s ‘Chronicles On Skin’ Exhibition

Significant points in Philippine history unfold onto various sculpture molds through Julie Lluch’s ‘Chronicles on Skin.’

This is an excerpt from Lifestyle Asia’s May 2023 Issue. 

Art is a channel where stories are told in a beautiful way, no matter how profound and tragic. In Julie Lluch’s Chronicles on Skin we see significant points in Philippine history unfold onto various sculpture molds.

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Among the few prominent female artists working in the country today, Lluch’s storytelling pushes the boundaries of figurative sculpture and painting by amplifying the unheard voices in society.

Lluch, “Sunrise (For Adi),”
An ode to one of the fallen. Lluch, “Sunrise (For Adi),” 24 x 9 x 24 inches, acrylic on cold cast marble

Known for her work with terracotta and not quite referring to herself as a painter yet, Lluch used the mold of old sculptures also seen in her previous shows. Her works in Chronicles on Skin showed the spoliarium with intricate details painted on them, but parts ranged from mangled torsos and flexed limbs.

Each body bore imprints of Philippine history from a distant past and a recent account of what could be considered as a pain point—the extrajudicial killings caused by the war on drugs. 

This being an advocacy close to heart, Lluch herself is one of the most noted members of the artist alliance RESBAK (RESpond and Break the silence Against the Killings). She has used her artistic platform to increase visibility and express the sentiment that such actions should not go unpunished.

Lluch, “Mandala,”
An arm that carries much history. Lluch, “Mandala,” 17 x 14 x 17 inches, acrylic on cold cast marble

The pieces carry the saga of the country’s quest for freedom and the muted voices of the oppressed. Lluch chose the term “chronicles” to reference parts of Philippine history that may feel like a repetition now; but significant parts from the past should not be forgotten.

There is a semblance of poetry in Lluch’s Chronicles on Skin, and aside from her educational background in Philosophy, her work embodies a certain grace that reverberates an emotional intensity.

Read more by purchasing a copy of the Lifestyle Asia May 2023 magazine via SariSari.shopping or select newsstands in National Bookstore and Fully Booked. Subscribe to the E-Magazine via Readly, Magzter, and Press Reader. 

Photos courtesy of Galerie Stephanie.

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