MANILA, Philippines - After the success of fine artist Miguel Buhay’s first solo show, entitled “Leap of Faith” comes his second solo show, which opens on Dec. 16 and runs up to Dec. 29 at Ayala Museum ArtistSpace.
“From Dark to Light” is the title of his upcoming show, and amidst a year filled with distractions, roadblocks, and pain, as he describes it, Miguel humbly presents a powerful collection, of moving art pieces that include still lifes, landscapes, figures and faces. “With an iron will and an undying hope I struggle and triumph… from the darkness I ascend into light,” writes Miguel. Indeed he does, a dark year that produced his finest works yet.
When I ask Miguel or Miggy, as he is fondly called by those who know him, to describe his approach in painting, he simply answers “chiaroscuro.” He expounds, “Light and shadow are what I continuously observe with my painter’s eyes; these two things keep me going, keep me interested, keep me searching.” It is no wonder he is able to create pieces rich in contrast, intense, and rendered in a manner that leads the eye towards the main subject. He cleverly adds his own masculine and creative flare to each of his pieces as he paints what he perceives.
I ask him how he is able to make the grapes in his paintings look so luminous, translucent, and vibrating with life and you will wonder how the littlest brush strokes could achieve that. “Miggy is a dynamic painter, he paints in a way that is spontaneous, natural, and fierce,” explains Elaine Herbosa, founder and curator of L’arc En Ciel, the atelier which Miggy calls his home. Miggy says, “L’arc En Ciel is where I currently paint, where I enjoy the atmosphere and energy of fellow painters, you could say it is my second home complete with a second mom.”
Miggy is an old soul who gets his inspiration from the classics and the masters. His studio filled with their works, studies and books that could rival any library. More than that Miggy is able to ingeniously sprinkle his work with insights on life. Every painting of his tells a story. Like his painting titled “Choose Your Path,” which is much more then a landscape as he paints a beautiful Calatagan scenery that creatively includes different paths that signify our crossroads in life.
Miggy’s skill and mastery is unmistakable as he paints a three dimensional flowerpot, in his painting “On the Edge,” and through clever placements and subtle play of shadows, he is able to make the object pop out and feel like it is about to fall off the table. In his painting titled “Peacock,” it is a wonder how he is able to compose such an ornate but delicate piece using such a meticulous subject matter. I must also mention his brilliance with color, none more evident than in his painting “The Studio in Cobalt Blue.” The shiny vase says it all, as it gleams so blue that one can almost see the reflection of the studio it was painted in.
“Leap of Faith,” the much-loved signature painting of Miggy’s first solo show, featuring his son, Diego, happily jumping in the air is a sharp contrast to the signature painting for this year’s upcoming show. The forthcoming show’s signature painting is titled “We Shall Be Together When We Dream.” I remember seeing the painting in its early stages, and even then in its simple form and shadows the emotion was clear. Hearing its title, I felt a chill and a deep sense of pain for the little boy in the painting. It is a painting that everybody must see. It is a painting that every parent will feel for and understand its loneliness. Miguel dedicates his second solo show, “From Dark to Light,” to his son, Diego.
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Miguel Buhay’s second solo exhibit is on view until Dec. 29 at ArtistSpace, second floor, Glass Wing, Ayala Museum, Greenbelt Park, Makati Ave. corner Dela Rosa St, Makati City. For information, call or SMS L’arc en Ciel at 0917-8901219, Miguel Buhay 0917-8076976, Marinella Mina of Ayala Museum at 757-7117 local 33.
More information can be found at miguelbuhay.com