To unfold is to present a new or to put into conversation afresh what is already an established style, yet with refinements and breakthroughs. To put it into perspective, it is a statement of continuance and enduring legacy for an already iconic and seasoned career.
Presented by Nami Art Gallery, Unfold showcases the current and past works of Raul Isidro and Juno Galang at the Artistspace, from 25 September to 8 October. A two-man exhibition is dedicated to their longstanding friendship since their early days in the College of Architecture and Fine Arts (now Fine Arts and Design) at the University of Santo Tomas and up to the present.
Although decades of professional practice have passed, and much has been told, published and deliberated about Isidro’s storied career, what perhaps hasn’t been given much focus is Isidro’s disposition, which conceivably transcends into the beauty of his produced masterpieces. His whimsical, vibrant and colorful non-representational paintings echo his jovial personality — someone who is in love with life and treats everyone with respect and kindness. Isidro will not turn down anyone in need of support and encouragement. He is humble, yet unmistakably stands out. A very distinguishable elder who shines and flashes a smile to welcome everyone he meets, much like his paintings, which seem to move and dance with vitality, energy, and vigorous spirit. The stone-like floating elements in his compositions conceivably allude to the exemplary pillar he is — an indomitable icon in the Philippine artistic landscape.
Isidro is a second-generation modernist master, mentored by Edades and Abueva themselves. A multi-awarded artist, he has won major awards in student and professional national art competitions. He stayed in the United States for 10 years, where he became a member of the Arts Council of the City of Hayward, California, and was the Philippine delegate for the Australian Foreign Affairs for an art lecture series in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra. He has served as dean of Philippine Women’s University, president of Art Association of the Philippines and Philippine Association of Printmakers, and was the recipient of the 2006 The Outstanding Thomasian Alumni award, the highest recognition given by the university’s rector, and The Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines 1979 honoree. He is now 81 and still unquestionably disciplined. He works every day from morning until afternoon and never seems to tire. His daily routine includes painting, receiving visitors in his studio, serving as an honored guest at exhibitions, and continuously sharing and developing young talents, particularly artists from the regions. Every year, he organizes competitions and workshops in his beloved city of Samar.
Galang is an artist and designer based in Hawaii but has frequented the country since 2016, joining Isidro in his undertakings alongside their colleagues, including Rodolfo Samonte, the late Tiny Nuyda, Al Perez, Ephraim Samson and many others.
Galang’s early works were photorealistic, heavily influenced by American artists of the same genre, such as Ralph Goings, Audrey Flack, Chuck Close, Don Eddy, and the like. These American artists are a decade or more older than him, but the late 1960s to early 1970s in America were dominated by this style, and so was the young Galang, who immersed himself in it, fell in love with it, and painted famous spots in Hawaii from the 1980s onwards.
By 2016, Galang transitioned to a more stylized and personal subject matter. Memories of home filled his canvases, and his palette became much more festive, depicting Filipino culture. His style became a combination of expressionism and cubism, definitely a hybrid. In 2023, Galang transitioned to a more graphic-oriented, conventional style. His artworks became much more simplified and geometric. His most common subject nowadays is fish, which he says symbolizes prosperity, good luck and happiness. Galang is quite the traveler, moving from one US state to another before relocating to Hawaii and eventually returning home. The fish perhaps reflect his migrations, as he continuously and purposefully reinvents himself. Like a fish that has gone out of the pond to swim across the ocean, he has become a full-fledged artist.
Artistspace located at the ground level, Ayala Museum Annex, Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Greenbelt Park, Makati City. The gallery is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free.