Women in my Arts

As far as I can go backtracking in the past figuring whether as time went by have I developed my own style, perhaps mastered something people can easily associate as an ARLO work. Finally, I found my distinct and prominent art object— WOMEN.

There was never a month or (even sure to say) a week that I didn't draw a woman's face. Well, okay except on holidays.

For some months,I have doubted myself if I really have a signature object on my arts. It has been staring me in the face and ready to bite my nose, but now I figured it out I have women in great percentage of my work. There was no close friend of mine who never saw me at least once drawing a woman's face or body, and realizing it just now is frustrating but at the same time humbling.

The painting attached herein is what I call the Filipina. Somehow, I see women always paired with vibrant colours and bold strokes (who doesn't, right!?). Not that they're as vibrant or as bold but they are the colorful varying flowers smeared across the globe we call Mother Nature. Filipina is a term used for a female Filipino, although looking at the painting it doesn't really show a true filipina look, but what she's wearing does. Needless to say, but I will anyway: your looks doesn't matter, but what you show, how you think and what you do tells you who you are.

Women are not weaker because they are physically weaker. Women are weaker because they have other strengths. It goes the same with men, gays, lesbians and other genders there are.

We (and by we I meant every one of us in the world) have our own strengths and weaknesses.

I have different types of women surrounding me; friends, family members and colleagues and I see them equally strong as everyone else, regardless of gender, disabilities, weaknesses and struggles.

I know I am a male feminist, and I am proud of it.I will push through, from now on, in focusing my art to revolve around women. I love uplifting women, and I know feminism doesn't mean having the need to uplift women because they're lower, as it seeks equality. But unfortunately, the society sees it as such, and I can help push that away until we see women unlabeled.

Finding my own Art Identity

Since I moved to Switzerland, I knew I had to grab the chance of learning the authentic styles that originated from Europe. Name it, from Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque, everyday lives captured in Realism contrasting the flamboyant Neo-classicism and Rococo of the royals, down to the Cubism, Dadaism and Impressionism. I have familiarised myself with some of the techniques, like how Impressionism differs from Realism or Idealism because of its use of light and sketch-like outputs, or how Dadaism aims to reimagine art without any rules or by disregarding the norms.

All of these to try and peg my art down to a certain category or style aligned with the art history. So it’s easier to explain, easier on the eyes, and looks familiar to observers.

I couldn’t. The output is not me. The outputs are not unique to me. For the easy answer, it’s bitter to say that I don’t conform. I couldn’t. Really.

Although connoisseurs will still pin my art as contemporary, to which I agree, I still cling to have my own identity, as do all famous artists.

De Kooning, Koons, Hirst, Klein,and Itten. They have their own style. That’s how they got known.

Once again, I struggled to find a contemporary style I can be famous for. I never had any distinct object, focus or theme in my painting, or so I thought.

Then it dawned on me.

It was always there. The style has been with me ever since I can remember. They style I always have in paintings, sketches, gouache pieces and watercolours.

I HAVE MY OWN STYLE, A VERY DISTINCT OBJECT THAT I HAVE NEVER NOTICED.

I have been looking left and right trying to figure what’s distinct about my art when all along it’s been biting me in the nose, probably since a while now.

All of my friends know this and saw me at one point drawing my own signature object:

“WOMEN”- hidden and surrounded by bold brushstrokes accentuating and affirming the beauty they uphold. Yet still “hidden” nowadays, still “invisible” one might say.

And this is the start of the era I decide to devote all my focus (art-wise) into this own contemporary style of mine and create all of the upcoming paintings be aligned to the ones I have accomplished below, so far.

I wanted to share this news to you as this is such a great discovery for me.

Expect in the coming posts to see more women in my paintings than ever!

The Art Basel Dream

I live in the same city where Art Basel was born, yet as a dream thing, it doesn't look so close as it does geographically.

Living in Basel—the arts capital of Switzerland is both a privilege and a pressure. The competition is exponential compared to any country in terms of contemporary fine arts, abstract expressionism, idealism, etc. Name what you have in mind, Art Basel is the largest collection of every piece of art existing in the world. Also adding up to the mountain of pressure are the Swiss' sophisticated art tastes, gigantic art curators, and The-Well-Knowledgeable in the arts industry (which are almost every citizen you bump with).

One has to be sitting at the top of the cherry placed on top of the whipped cream.

Try will I every day, with all my might, to eventually land a corner at the famed spring event.

The event showcases Koons, Weiwei, Arp, and many more from whom I pale so palely.

I believe that an entity as huge as Art Basel will be tilted on the head to look at someone else's piece without the latter asking for it, just the art shouting itself to be described as it is trapped in a frame or freed from one.