The world as seen through the eyes of SYM

CEBU, Philippines – "Cubism" is widely regarded as the firstborn of abstraction's family of styles - characterized by a disassociation from real-life scenes where subjects are seamlessly framed in multiple perspectives and views.

Pioneered by the legendary masters Gorges Braque and Pablo Picasso in the early 1900s, the style has inspired generations of artists in framing reality as segmented-but-related geometric compositions - shaped by elements that capture different moments in time that allude to an unhinged temporal flair.

Here in the Philippines, Vicente Manansala is one name that's closely associated with cubism (specifically, "transparent cubism") - famous not just for his fine control of the brush and keen eye for detail in rendering works, but also for the way he merged city and countryside life in his compositions.

But as established as Manansala is as one of the country's premiere cubists, he is not the only Filipino whose forays into the style's ins and outs have led to a stellar career in the visual art field - as the showcased pieces of "SYM Summation 1978-2014" would show.

Currently the featured exhibition of the newly renovated Art Center of SM City Cebu, "SYM Summation 1978-2014" fetes a series of works made by the Cebu-born, now Canada-based artist Sofronio Ylanan Mendoza - more popularly known by his initials, "SYM."

Presented by the Hiraya Gallery in cooperation with SM City Cebu and SM Seaside City Cebu, the show gathers a relevant sampling of the different techniques and styles the artist had immersed himself in over the years - covering his representational works, impressionist and post-impressionist pieces, and the cubist compositions he is famous for.

Like many of the world's cubist masters, a huge chunk of SYM's cubist compositions entails the deconstruction of still lifes that are made more dynamic by an astute reimagining of the values of perspective and the passing of time.

Rendering fruits, vegetables, objects and garden scenes in vibrant lines and shades of color, the artist's take in capturing subjects is vivid and dynamic - hinting of how the Filipino artist always finds a way of infusing euphoria into the creation of works.

On display until December 21, all of Cebu is invited to view "SYM Summation 1978-2014."