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a-list: clothespin art by gerry stecca

I have a newfound respect for the humble sipit (clothespin)! Gerry Stecca is the artist behind these amazing sculptural installations.

I hope this will inspire you to look at ordinary things in a different light. Have a great week!

a-list: valerie chua at heima

Valerie Chua’s solo exhibit happening tonight at Heima, Makati. Here’s a sneak peek of her works c/o Heima. Lovely pieces! They somehow remind of the illustrations in the ending theme of  70s anime Candy Candy.

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“Valerie Chua is a self-taught illustrator from Manila. She started painting halfway through college and has never let go of the brush since then. She specializes in traditional media such as watercolor, gouache, and acrylic. Her work is predominantly influenced by East Asian watercolor artists and magical realist literature and poetry. Backyard of the Universe is Valerie’s first major solo exhibit, marking her breakthrough as a painter who specializes in illustrative art and storytelling.”

weekend art fair

Happening this weekend: 10a Alabama’s 2nd handmade art fair and film viewing.

Yay, it’s Saturday again!

10a alabama st.: hausbesetzer laboratory

Of the three sections inside 10A Alabama, the quirkiest would have to be Hausbesetzer Laboratory.

Conceptualized by artist Jetro Rafael (of Van Gogh is Bipolar fame), Hausbesetzer Laboratory is a tea bar set in a rather twisted world of a makeshift science laboratory.  The setting is complete with microscope, periodic table, a life size skeleton model, and laboratory glassware. However, the wooden hutch and counter table where the foodstuff and supplies are stored and displayed give visitors a hint that it is actually a food space and not some strange experiment room.

Dried leaves and other ingredients for creating tea concoctions are stored in flasks, vials and test tubes. Aside from tea, they also offer Jägermeister & Goldschläger tes tube shots!

We didn’t get to try anything from their menu but I just read that their Belgian chocolate drink served in empty beer bottles is good.

[previous: resurrection furniture; RAW]

10a alabama st.: RAW art gallery

After going through the pieces of Resurrection Furniture, we proceeded to the very personal art gallery of Robert Alejandro of The Sketching Backpacker and The Sartorialist Sketches, both of which were previously featured here in df.

RAW, short for RO-bert, is packed with the artist’s works, from framed The Sartorialist Sketches original watercolor drawings and various illustrated postcards, to hanging mobiles and whimsical metal sculptures. Because there’s not enough room for all the artworks, the rest were displayed along the hallway outside the room.

The room felt very personal, like we were breaking into someone’s private space. I appreciate the spontaneous “organized clutter” arrangement of the artworks which gave the space so much personality. For a second, it made me appreciate the mess of blueprints, swatches, and stacks of books and magazines on my desk, hehe.

We love RAW’s wall which was covered with whitewashed music sheets in place of a wallpaper. And of course, we love the card catalog! Our visit to this place made me realize that it should be an essential piece in a designer’s office. Talk about great storage solution.

Visit RAW’s facebook page here for more info and pictures of the artworks.

Next up is Hausbesetzer Tea Laboratory.

i saw design: the sketching backpacker

While most of us take photographs during our trips, Filipino artist Robert Alejandro (the same person behind The Sartorialist Sketches and the “RO” in Papemelroti) draws and paints to document his travels around the world. His blog The Sketching Backpacker features some of his drawings during his trips around Europe and Asia.

They remind me of those days in college when we had to make watercolor drawings of period style architecture, interiors, and furniture pieces for our history classes. Plus, our Prang watercolor paint sets looked just as messy, hehe!

*images via the sketching backpacker

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exhibit: we are not aimless

Speaking of Dan Matutina, the DF girls + boy (Green Guide) went to see the ‘We Are Not Aimless’ art exhibit in White Space, Makati where Dan is one of the featured artists. Also, Pepper Roxas and Abi Goy, who both have been previously featured here in df, are also part of the said exhibit.

It’s not your usual ‘serious’ art exhibit. The pieces are fun, fresh, and a bit quirky with regards to their chosen subjects, messages, composition and techniques. The large pieces, mostly paintings, are displayed at the ground floor while the smaller ones, like art prints and mixed media sculptures, are at the second floor. Here’s a sneak peek! More pictures in our flickr page.

The exhibit runs until February 6, 2011 (see event poster at the bottom of the post for more details). -ardel

a-list: j pacena’s ‘after mall hours’

A few weeks ago, we featured our friend interior designer April Frigilliana-Pacena and her winning design for MADE 2008. While April makes a name for herself in interior design, her husband, J Pacena II is making a mark in the art scene with his current solo exhibit entitled “After Mall Hours” at the Blanc Peninsula Manila.

Here are some shots from the exhibit’s opening night last friday, November 6. (images c/o the artist)

If you are in the Makati area, make time to drop by his exhibit, which runs until November 26. The gallery is open everyday; free admission. Read below for the details about the artist and the exhibit.

Congratulations J! More exhibits to come! -ardel

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(Text via the After Mall Hours facebook event page)

Transitions, realizations and choosing directions… themes translated using acrylic, pastel and archival ink on paper and canvas. Through the images of conflicts of man, the irregularities of life represented by floating geometrical shapes and deconstructed images of photographs of landscapes, abandoned houses and other spaces in Japan as a product of reflections of 30 years of existence. There are dialogues and conversations within the frames of artwork, showing conflicting views and feelings of the subjects and the influences of people through a man’s life stages.

For more information about this exhibition, visit www.blanc.ph or contact +639209276436 or send an email to info@blanc.ph.

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a-list: abi goy

These works by Filipina graphic designer Abi Goy make me smile. They’re fun and feminine yet strong at the same time. Apart from illustrations for popular children’s books, Goy also creates cute postcards and pillowcase designs. I wonder what inspires her to make these whimsical but chic illustrations. Her other works, which you can find at her website, will definitely make you instant fans. -lilli

objects of design: art in children’s books

After learning about Pepper Roxas and CANVAS, I now look at children’s books from a different perspective. I used to see them as beautifully illustrated books. It was only recently, when I learned about the artists behind those illustrations, that I came to appreciate them as forms of art. In fact, if you’re thinking about wall decorations for your kids room, framed pages from illustrated books of CANVAS and Adarna are an inexpensive option.

Through a link from Dan Matutina, I stumbled upon another beautifully illustrated children’s book: Bengal Lonely by British artist, Chris Madden. Although the story is quite sad (it’s about a tiger with no friends ), the illustrations are cute and interesting.

Framed versions of these drawings will go well in a boy’s bedroom. Besides, if you don’t know the book’s story, the drawings don’t appear to be very sad (except for the toxic sign on the tiger’s coat which you can censor by pasting another heart on it, hehe).

To learn more bout Chris Madden and his works, visit his blog HERE. -ardel