Tapiserya, a joint exhibition between artists Joel Geolamen and Lynyrd Paras, captures facets of Filipino culture through textile landscapes and bright-eyed faces.
The Goldenberg Mansion Art Series recently launched its third edition as part of Art Fair Philippines’ 10 Days Of Art program, mounting a joint exhibition between Filipino contemporary artists Joel Geolamen and Lynyrd Paras in partnership with Salcedo Private View, the gallery arm of Salcedo Auctions. Titled Tapiserya, the show brought together storied terrains of the archipelago rendered through Geolamen’s impressive paintings of indigenous textiles, and the figurative expressionism of Paras’s human subjects with their distinctive bright-eyed faces and playful, stylized forms.
Tapiserya, which translates to “tapestry,” embodies the spirit of its title as it weaves together a cultural tapestry foregrounding notions of identity and territoriality through Geolamen and Paras’s works. For this special exhibition, Joel showcased 10 oil on canvas paintings, while Lynyrd presented six paintings and six acrylic-resin sculptures.
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Textile Visions Of A Country
Geolamen is known for his innovative landscape works, which feature terrains sculpted from vibrant, ornate local fabrics, each painted in striking detail and set against a soothing blue backdrop at different times of the day.
The scenes take inspiration from the natural surroundings or territories of various ethnic groups, such as the Tausug of Mindanao with their sprawling mountains, an acknowledgement of their rights to their lands. The artist himself was raised in the region after his family migrated there in the 1900s, making his statement one of solidarity as he translates the sovereignty of the territory’s original inhabitants into visual form.
His works have been exhibited both within and outside of the country, including Switzerland, Sweden, and Malaysia, and were recently the highlights of the 2024 Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, with Queensland Art Gallery acquiring them for its permanent collection.
A Nation’s Many Faces
Paras’s paintings provide an alluring contrast to Geolamen’s landscapes, consisting of a series of portraits that revolve around the qualities Filipinos are known for, particularly how our society responds to life’s challenges. The faces evoke that quintessential Filipino warmth and cheerfulness through playful colors and bright-eyed, incisive expressions.
Meanwhile, the artist’s collection of acrylic and resin sculptures, Taintim Tanim, shed light on the strong relationship Filipinos have with their faith, depicting a young girl kneeling in prayer. To Paras, this joyful disposition and steadfast faith is a power that has enabled his fellow Filipinos to not only face the challenges of everyday life, but also hope for and work towards a better future.
As an artist, Paras is heavily influenced by the creative pulse of the 1990s, emerging as a distinctive voice in the rising wave of Filipino artists making their mark on the global art scene. His works have been extensively showcased across the Philippines, in Singapore, Malaysia, and New York. He was awarded a grand prize in 2004 GSIS Museum National Painting Competition, Student Category; and in 2018, he was honored with the prestigious 13 Artists Award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines, among other accolades.
Similar to previous iterations of the Goldenberg Mansion Art series, a portion of the proceeds from the art exhibition will be donated to the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, a non-stock, non-profit organization that aims to provide continuous leadership training and opportunities for higher education to deserving Girl Scouts.
To learn more about the exhibition for this Goldenberg Art Series, follow Salcedo Auctions on Instagram @salcedoauctions.
Photos courtesy of Salcedo Auctions and Kevin Conopio (unless specified).
