Visual artist Joel Reglos mounts his highly anticipated fifth solo exhibition, Reminiscence, a visual homecoming that explores the intersection of artistic evolution and spiritual endurance. In partnership with Altro Mondo Creative Space, the exhibit is at the Gateway Gallery. The collection serves as both a retrospective of Reglos’s foundational aesthetics and a deeply personal testimony of the faith that sustained his rise in the Philippine contemporary art scene.
In Reminiscence, Reglos deliberately steps back from the present to re-engage with the raw energy of his formative years. Known for his mastery of the impasto technique and his signature use of heavy, sculptural textures, Reglos utilizes this exhibition to honor the specific palettes and vertical color compositions that first defined his voice. The works are not merely recreations of the past, but rather a sophisticated dialogue between the artist he was and the master technician he has become.
The exhibition’s title captures a dual meaning: a technical looking back at the language of abstraction and a spiritual accounting of the “wilderness years.” For Reglos, the path to his current success was paved with significant personal and professional hurdles.
“This collection revisits a period of intense struggle and sacrifice,” Reglos shares. “It was a time when I had to surrender my path to the Divine, trusting that the journey had a destination I couldn’t yet see. These pieces are reminders that the trials we endure are not obstacles, but essential parts of a larger, beautiful plan.”
The aesthetics of the show are characterized by its tactile intensity. Reglos’s canvases are famous for their “verticality” — cascading layers of pigment that suggest movement, growth, and the passage of time. By returning to his “root” palettes, he invites the viewer to witness the “season of abundance” that follows a long season of sowing. Each thick stroke of paint serves as a metaphor for a prayer answered or a hardship overcome, transforming the canvas into a three-dimensional landscape of gratitude.
Reminiscence is more than a display of abstract virtuosity; it is a narrative of resilience. Reglos asserts that every trial has a purpose that only reveals itself in the fullness of time. It marks a significant milestone in Reglos’s career. As a resident of Lucena City and a proud representative of the province of Quezon art community, he continues to bridge the gap between regional identity and the global language of abstraction.
The exhibit is on view from 23 to 29 May at the Gateway Gallery, fifth floor, Gateway Tower, Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City. It is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m, with free admission.
