8 Intriguing Art Pieces That Will Really Catch Your Eye

Art Fair Philippines is one of the events various people from all over the country look forward to. Each year, the Art Fair showcases various artists not only from the Philippines but from different parts of the globe, as well. This year’s Art Fair marked my third visit and as with the past few years, it did not disappoint.

I tend to be naturally drawn to art pieces that are unique, especially those created in ways I have never encountered before. In the sea of thousands of art pieces, here are some of the ones that really caught my attention.

8 Intriguing Art Pieces That Will Really Catch Your Eye

8. Wall Drawing #869A

Wall Art

This piece of art may just seem like random doodles at first, but it’s actually a lot more interesting than that. One person begins the installation by drawing a non-horizontal line using a black marker or crayon. Then the next person tries to copy the same line using a different color (and so on and so forth).

7. Jellyfish Kisses’ Sewing Club

Jellyfish Kisses Exhibit

With its neon lights and candy-colored plush figures, Jellyfish Kisses’ Sewing Club was definitely one of the most eye-catching exhibits at this year’s Art Fair. You could even contribute by piecing a dress together using the scraps of fabric provided at the exhibit.

6. Tuk0

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Salvador Joel Alonday’s ‘Tuko’ caught my attention every time I passed it. It’s one of those pieces that draws you in and makes you think. Perhaps the artist’s own words can give you some clarity: “It is in our nature to sometimes fall at the mercy of our reptilian brain, sadly often revealed in the acts of a number of our political and religious leaders.”

5. Onib Olmedo: The Triumph of Everyman

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Onib Olmedo’s “soul portraits” are known for showing distortion and emotional power. One look at any of these portraits and you will surely understand why. Olmedo’s goal with his art is “to make visible the granular qualities of the soul: complex, immense, haunted by its own terrors and desires.” A whole gallery was dedicated to his portraits and you could just stay there for hours, getting lost in every single piece.

4. Karnebal by Max Balatbat

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One of the darker pieces at the Art Fair, “Karnebal” is an exhibit that will linger in your mind long after you’ve left it. Photographed here is a young girl selling Sampaguita with her underwear pulled down. According to Carlomar Daoana, this is a “commentary of how the most vulnerable are oftentimes the most violated, even as if they are trying to keep body and soul together by doing a meager and decent livelihood.”

3. Yuko Machida’s Oil Paintings

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Every single one of Yuko Machida’s paintings has this interesting detail: the subjects’ eyes are always looking in two different directions. It’s almost as if half of the subject tells an entirely different story from the other.

2. Abi Dionisio’s Flesh and Needles

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Abi Dionisio’s style is something I haven’t seen before. In the piece photographed, she used painted embroidered pieces and canvases to show the reverse of the actual art pieces she embroidered.

1. Julie Lluch’s Irresistible Grace: In the Time of Plague

Artfair 2020 235We’ve all heard of the famous “Spoliarium” by Juan Luna. In Julie Lluch’s “Irresistible Grace”, she brought the painting to life by recreating the whole painting with life-sized sculptural pieces in cold cast marble. The exhibit truly makes for a unique experience as it allows you to walk around and see each sculpture face to face. It’s as if you’re getting lost in the painting itself.

Founded in 2013, Art Fair Philippines is the premier platform for exhibiting and selling the best in modern and contemporary Philippine visual art. The fair aims to mirror the vibrant local art scene and continues to generate support for Filipino art practitioners. The fair is committed to expanding the local audience for the visual arts. Set in an alternative urban venue, Art Fair Philippines makes art accessible to enthusiasts and those who want to discover one of Southeast Asia’s most exciting art landscapes.

Philippine Art Events, Inc. oversees the management of Art Fair Philippines.

Art Fair Philippines

https://artfairphilippines.com

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