CEBU, Philippines - Cebu’s Celso Duazo Pepito celebrated the opening ceremonies of his 36th solo exhibition last May 18, focusing on a foundation that is close to home – the family.
Presented by the Alternative Contemporary Art Studio (ACAS) in the Sacred Heart Parish, We Are Family is more than a new addition to Pepito’s increasingly growing professional portfolio, proudly standing out as a testament to the artist’s unwavering creative tenacity.
Having built a reputation in the utilization of cubic simplicity in the making of his works, genuine sincerity stands to be an important element in the inner workings of Pepito’s signature style, one which yields to compelling pieces that reaches out and connects with viewers.
Famed for his inexhaustible penchant for capturing beauty, the unwavering bounds of Pepito’s exceptional artistic capacities has also defined him as the “link†between Cebu’s established masters and on-the-rise modern/contemporary artists.
It’s not often said, but contemporary art in the Philippines is widely regarded to be unique in Asia, a standing that is attributed to the country’s exposure to Western Art through colonization.
The Catholic Church, apart from the artistic influence of the Spanish and the Americans, also plays a significant role in steering the transcendence and growth of art, resulting to artists of Pepito’s caliber, whose artistic repertoire is borne from an amalgam of traditional artistic norms and the thought provoking inclinations of bold, contemporary drives.
In We Are Family, Pepito completes his visual ideals by utilizing a wide variety of mediums, from pen and ink to watercolor and acrylic. Accentuating his captured subject’s emotions with blue aubergine hues, shades of black and grey also play a crucial role in framing Pepito’s cubist visions.
Born in Daanbantayan in 1956, Pepito was mentored by the “Dean of Cebuano Paintersâ€, Martino Abellana. Owing his cubist inclinations to have been influenced by National Artist Vicente Manansala, he continues to play a crucial role in the overall growth of Cebu’s artistic bounds, participating in various organization-steered activities and programs whose goals and aims are in tune with his’.
Firm in his belief that art should reflect what is true and good, beautiful simply begins to describe pieces showcased in We Are Family, which is more than just Pepito’s 36th one-man exhibition, but a testament to his continuing role in breaking the divide between what is classic and what is new. (FREEMAN)