Beatriz Robles at Yuchengco Museum

MANILA, Philippines - “There will be time, /there will time /To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet.” So goes the statement of the great poet T.S. Eliot, in his poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” The lines gain mileage in significance through the various interpretations the reader may choose to infer, whether negative (hypocrisy) or positive (presenting one’s self in the best light).

Putting a positive spin on Eliot’s famous lines is Beatriz Robles who presents her eighth solo exhibition titled “Face The Art,” opening at the Water Dragon Gallery, Yuchengco Museum on March 14.

In a series of delicate pastels on Canson paper Robles delineates the alluring faces of women transformed by the artistry of cosmetics. She expounds on the concept behind her works: “The artist, brush in hand, moves boldly forward with each stroke, coming closer and closer to the end result of his masterpiece upon the once blank canvas. Like this, the makeup artist is faced with a blank canvas of his own — the smooth skin of a face. Both may be painting on different surfaces but in essence are quite the same. Both play with light and dark to accentuate features or play them down. And both seek the same result — a beautiful masterpiece to behold.”

Robles’ show alludes to the history of cosmetics which spans from pre-history to the present. Even the Old Testament records women’s various beauty treatments. In fact, no culture or civilization has been exempt from the ritualistic use of painting faces.

Robles finished her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts, Creative Writing, major in Non-Fiction at the Ateneo de Manila University. She studied solo classical clarinet at the CCP under Ariel Sta. Ana. She is the principal clarinetist of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.

“Face the Art” is on view till March 28. The Yuchengco Museum is at the corner of Ayala and Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City. For details, call 889-1234.