Art Review: Heirs to the Throne

Qube Gallery is presenting the Rising Artists Series entitled Heirs to the Throne this May 20 to June 8, 2015 at the Qube Gallery Crossroads Banilad.

Heirs to the Throne, involves artists Thomas Jopson, Lhee Taneo, Kenichi Wani, Marvin Natural, Wyndelle Remonde and Kidlat.

The exhibit is hard to focus on one artist because most of the artworks stood out and had its own unique style that can truly impress the audience, so just let me try to dissect some of it.

Kenichi Wani’s works is described as surrealism that leans more on the cute side of surrealism if ever there was one. This is because his main characters remind you of Ziggy.

For those of you who don’t know, Ziggy is a small, bald, trouserless, barefoot, almost featureless American cartoon (save for his large nose) which first became famous in the Philippines around the 80’s as it was given free by Tang juice drink as finger puppets.

The characters in Wani’s work also remind you of the artist himself, so whichever way you want to interpret it, the works stand out because of its overall cuteness.

There is Lhee Taneo’s work that features mosaics using the natural color and texture found in shells. What makes her work impressive is its intricacy and the patience needed in the process to the work.

I have seen a lot of mosaics done in college before and so far Taneo’s work is the one that shows a lot of professionalism and mastery. Because the artist lives at Olango Cebu, her works is also the closest to representing the islands because it gives out that island girl vibe.

Last but not the least, the artworks of Wyndelle Remonde is one that shows uniqueness and maturity. His combination of cartoony or realistic images and flashy or subdued colors is striking. His influence from the graphic arts and the fine arts has led him to make works that have combined a style that is flashy and contemporary.

It does not stop there. The mix of images and symbolism tells you that there’s more than meets the eye. That is why, his artworks show a good combination – They catch your attention with its colors and images, you want to linger to try and find out what the works mean.

Heirs to the Throne, is indeed a promising look to the future. Together with the artist from the Malignant Flux exhibit, it is safe to say that the future of Cebu’s art scene is safe in good hands.

About the author: N.M. CABANGBANG graduated Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Painting at University of the Philippines Cebu. He is now currently teaching grade 6 – 10 Art at B.R.I.G.H.T. Academy.