IB visual art exhibition 2016

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Click here for pictures of the exhibition 
Sino Ako (Who I Am)
Miguel Santana
 Having lived more than half my life in Hong Kong, I have been influenced by many cultures, many ideologies and many places. However, for my first exhibit, I decided to explore the very core of my being, my heritage, my being Filipino.
 
All the pieces highlight a dominant emotion and showcase brief glimpses into the spirit of the country and our culture.
 
In my pieces portraying Jeepneys (local buses) and a Boodle (a local feast), I wanted to convey the lively and hopeful nature of the Philippine spirit, mainly through the use of vibrant colours and expressive strokes, and how our culture is all about people coming together. In addition, the large scale of these pieces aims to attract and overwhelm the viewers, acting as the centrepieces of the exhibition.
 
In contrast to the vibrant colours of the previous two pieces, red and black play dominant roles in my wooden board series, which deals with the native colours of the Ifugao tribe and my capiz shell lamp installation, designed based on a Philippine modern artist. Both deal with the mixture of old and new, tradition and change. The use of non-conventional materials aims to enhance this recurring message.
 
The last three of my pieces are social pieces, representing the struggles and sacrifices that have shaped the Philippines. The blatant disparity between the lives of many Filipinos is seen through my cardboard shantytown representing the poor, which is set against a flash of tin foil with bright colours symbolizing the affluent, highlighting this gap.
 
The next two pieces symbolize hope. First, I pay homage to one of the Philippines greatest martyrs, Ninoy Aquino, through a formal chalk portrait imprinted with his most famous yet ironic words – “The Filipino is worth dying for”.  Similarly, I also looked at a different kind of hero, the Overseas Filipino Worker.  Utilizing extreme close-up, monochromatic photo techniques and large scale, I wanted to convey the vast impact of these modern day heroes yet emphasize their anonymity at the same time.
 
The past months putting together this exhibit has enabled me to realize more about my country and ultimately more about myself. By exploring the various elements that make the Philippines unique, the viewers of this exhibition are hopefully taken through a journey of not only discovering a new culture but also a realization that perhaps there is a Filipino in all of us.
Disparity

Tatum Stiles
 
I have grown up in Hong Kong, a thriving, multicultural metropolis; a city with a unique mix of Eastern and Western influences, of old and new, steeped in tradition and history. However, the affluence and prosperity of Hong Kong, afforded to it by its stature as one of Asia's primary global financial centres, is juxtaposed with pockets of poverty and for this reason I have developed an interest in disparity – my IB art theme. Broadly defined, disparity means ‘lack of equality’ or ‘a great difference’. Focusing on the former definition, I was primarily interested in exploring the contrasts in how the rich and poor live in Hong Kong as it has one of the highest levels of income disparity in the developed world and where housing extends from luxury mansions to notorious caged homes. Thereafter, I focused on the latter definition, researching differences in the human form and landscapes. Essentially, my intention is to expose the extreme differences in our society and environment and present these through both conservative and shock tactics.  Investigating the disparities within the human form allows me to consider two body extremes, anorexia and obesity, and draw attention to these sensitive issues however uncomfortable this may make my audience. Equally diverse, although less disturbing, are my studies in landscape disparities in China. I am fascinated by the differences in the environment, the blend of old and new, of my adopted country.
 
Over the past two years I have become more conscious of how my art and surroundings have developed me both as an artist and as a person. I have become more experimental trialing different techniques and mediums learning how best to communicate meaning and emotion behind each work. All methods are carefully chosen to complement each image and include acrylic paints on canvas and wood, collage and mixed media, photography, black marker illustration, gold and silver leaf and pencil drawing. WEI WEI’s photograph is captured to reveal the pure essence of her features; MÍNG ZHÌ, is intricately drawn with graphite pencils for brutal realism. I chose to address subjects relatable to the viewer but expose them in a different way for visual impact and to question the spectator. For example, my collage, SPEEDING ADONG, although the taxi is a familiar image the contradictory repetitive presence of Mao may be questioned.
 
Repeatedly juxtaposing images heighten my disparity theme. EXPOSURE OF TWO, contrasts Hong Kong’s skyline to a traditional Chinese village. Displayed in separate frames creating distance, both works incorporate the same technique, a simple black marker and gold or silver leaf, reflecting their similarities: the rich prosperity of the city and the wealth in culture of the traditional village. MIND OVER MATTER and RIBBED are exhibited side-by-side to create dramatic contrast and heighten their disparity. Although they use the same technique, different colour schemes are applied. In MIND OVER MATTER, varying tones and vivid colours intensify the fuller figure, whilst nude tones in RIBBED highlight the delicate one.
 
The presentation and order of my artwork is deliberate for stark contrast. The abstract canvases of, A METAPHYSICAL JUNGLE, are hung haphazardly emphasising the chaos of the metropolis whilst NOSH, the iconic culturally accepted convenience food, are uniformly displayed. The first wall expose brightly coloured pop art inspired Hong Kong icons and motifs (Cup Noodles, Hong Kong taxi and Mao Zedong) and explores income disparity. The second wall researches landscape disparities through illustration and abstract means.  The final wall is figurative and addresses important issues: anorexia, obesity and poverty. By placing the aged women adjacent to my human form studies, a contrast becomes even more apparent in terms of features and age creating disparity within the display itself. The final exhibition piece, viewed from every corner of the room, is WEI WEI, a huge divided photograph placed at a slight angle giving the impression of an ominous presence. The exhibition moves from economic to societal issues and, as a result, becomes coherent. Ultimately, I aim to expose disparities in both a positive and negative light whilst stirring a range of emotions: I hope the first two walls uplift my audience through vibrant colours and satire whereas blatant realism on the third wall may shock.
 
 

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