Gallery News: Little Wing Luna and Jo A. Santos present ‘Chasing the Quotidian’ at vMeme

MANILA, Philippines - “Chasing the Quotidian,” a collection of photography by artists Little Wing Luna and Jo A. Santos, opens on Oct. 17, 7 p.m. at vMeme Contemporary Art Gallery.

The exhibit explores the ambiguity of the female gaze as often associated with so-called regularities of the everyday, the securities of domesticity, and convenience of femininity. The shutter is witness to the female gaze looking and seeing in meta-critical fashion. Luna and Santos run after meanings and meta-meanings, narratives and meta-narratives, constructs and meta-constructs — all beyond regularity, security and convenience.

The exhibit, curated by Avie Felix, is part of a multi-pronged project to develop an archive of works by Filipino women photographers. It runs until Nov. 9. vMeme Contemporary Art Gallery is located at 61 Visayas Ave. Quezon City. For more information, visit www.vmemecontemporary.com or call 964-5951 / 502-2578 / (0917)855-5066.

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Randalf Dilla at Hiraya Gallery

Randalf Dilla showcases his mastery of the photo realism technique in “Troubled Visions,” which is on view until Oct. 30 at Hiraya Gallery, 530 U.N. Ave., Ermita, Manila.

For information, call 523-3331 or e-mail dididee@hiraya.com.

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Justin James Wright’s ‘Resilience’ at the Ayala Museum

Fine art photography meets raw emotion at British photographer Justin James Wright’s exhibit, entitled “Resilience: The Isla Pulo Community” at the ArtistSpace of Ayala Museum this October. Through a series of poignant, fine art photographs, the exhibit takes you into the heart of the people of Isla Pulo — an impoverished community of roughly 1,000 people — on the shores of Manila Bay.

With a respected background in the fields of engineering and infrastructure, having been at the helm of several large-scale projects both in the Philippines and abroad, Wright catches you off-guard with the sensitivity of his work.

“Resilience: The Isla Pulo Community” opens at 6 p.m. on Oct. 16, and runs from Oct. 17 to Nov. 3, 2013. ArtistSpace is located at the ground floor of the Ayala Museum Annex, Ayala Museum, Makati Ave. cor. Dela Rosa Street, Greenbelt, Makati City. Gallery is open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.jjwrightfineart.com.

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Galeria de las Islas presents ‘Primera’

A three-man show by Ronna Lara-Bes, Miguel Rogali and Michelle Tupaz, “Primera” showcases recent works featuring pristine images and creations. As the artists express it, the title “refers to the primary colors: blue, yellow and red” –– the three main colors put on a palette to experiment brushstrokes and style.

“Primera” opens on Oct. 19, Saturday, 5 p.m. at Galeria de las Islas, 3rd floor, Silahis Center, 774 Gen. Luna St., Intramuros, Manila, and will run through Nov. 7. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. For inquiries, call 527-2113 or e-mail galeriadelasislas@yahoo.com.

Mark Valenzuela’s ‘Equidistant’ and Erwin Leaño’s ‘In Place’ at Artinformal

Artinformal presents â€œEquidistant,” the solo exhibition of Mark Valenzuela, which opens Oct. 17 at the The Main Gallery and Inner Room. 

Equidistant is a term used to describe a point that is of equal distance from two or more other points. As someone who lives between two spaces, the concept of Equidistant seems an accurate description of my position. “While I am physically located in one country or the other, experientially I find myself always at equal distance from the two,” says Valenzuela. “The works in this exhibition are often conflicted and intertwined perceptions of the spaces that I inhabit, both equidistant and ever present.”

Erwin Leaño’s “InPlace” also opens on Oct. 17 at The Big Room. In this solo exhibition â€œIn Place,” Leaño transports us to a world where light, shade and subject conspire to create peaceful elegance — elegance that can only be reveled by the simple act of pausing. Leaño’s longstanding love for still life painting literally shines in each of the subjects he chooses to venerate on canvas. The play of light and shadow on inanimate objects gracefully animate them. Ordinary things are transformed into extraordinary ethereal entities through Leaño’s inspired composition.

“In Place” and “Equidistant: will run until Nov. 4, 2013. Artinformal is located at 277 Connecticut Street, Greenhills East, Mandaluyong City.  For information, call 725-8518 or 899-2698.

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Charles Clapshaw presents ‘40x40’

New Zealand-born artist Charles Clapshaw’s exhibit, “40x40,” consist of personal stories, decisions, and logic interwoven amongst theories of color, space, dimension and weight. Ideas and concepts juxtapose Charles’ analog style with his previous ‘“digital life.” The entire canvas is used, with visual tricks based on viewing angles and lighting. Charles’ artistic style is composed primarily of acrylic on canvas, with occasional use of linen and oil. Charles previous “digital life” relates to his successful career in digital advertising. He was the worldwide president of the TBWA Digital Arts network, one of the largest in the world, based on Madison Avenue NYC. He has exhibited in Berlin, Paris, New York, Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland.

“40x40” opens on Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m. at TBWA Santiago Mangada Puno, 1195 Yakal cor. Chino Roces, Makati City. Proceeds will go to TBWAcademy Scholarship Fund. For information, visit www.40x40.com.ph.