‘An Extraordinary Journey’ at Galerie Stephanie
MANILA, Philippines - On view until Nov. 30 is Carlo Ongchangco’s “An Extraordinary Journey,” which features the artist’s visual storytelling ability and pairing it with an extraordinary technique.
Ongchangco’s new works strike a very contemporary chord. The complexity of his figuration is detailed in his depiction of a subject’s eyes. Large and soulful, they are often mismatched so as to resonate with an air of whimsical mystery.
In his work “Musical Serenades” a diminutive geisha with this particular characteristic sits on a tree playing a flute. Surrounding her are fish swimming in air — another feature that so characterizes an Ongchangco work is this adherence to surreal environments. Thus, we have fish in the air and houses in the sea.
The surreal aspect of his art is the perhaps the defining quality of his practice. The usage of surrealism in visual arts point to an attempt at narrative — precisely how Ongchangco himself seems to want to portray the direction of this exhibition. By ostensibly describing it as a “journey,” he seeks to act out the trajectory of a plot line.
We also see this narrative vein in “Dreaming of Stradivarius Symphony.” In this piece, we have an explosion of different kinds of motifs — animals such as pandas and bunnies, violinists, what seems to be an altar-shaped building — behind a contemplative lady smiling as she clutches a violin. Her dress is decidedly Slavic, suggesting perhaps an alignment with figures in Russian folklore.
Galerie Stephanie is at 1B Parc Plaza Bldg., 183 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Libis, Quezon City. For information call 709-1488 or e-mail galeriestephanie@yahoo.com. Visit www.galeriestephanie.com.
