MELANKOLIA: New Works
in Black and White
"Pain, pleasure
and death are no more than a process of existence. The revolutionary struggle
in this process is a doorway open to intelligence." - Frida Kahlo
In his latest solo
exhibition, ‘Melankolia’, Pinggot Zulueta continues with his
autobiographical theme of understanding the inner self. Following on from his
previous works (‘Incepto' presented in 2016, and ‘Katharsis'
exhibited in 2017), the artist lingers on his journey of introspection. His
latest exhibit consists of a series of drawings which evoke complex emotions,
intense sentiments and memories from his sojourn.
Guardian of Dreams, Ink on Paper, 2019
‘Melankolia’
incessantly returns the artist to some of the more intimate segments of his
existence. Through a process of mindful reflection, he has produced works that are imbued with a
melancholic temperament ... highlighting negative and positive sentiments in
almost equal measure. This uplifting temperament continues to inspire him as a
visual artist. “I started with this series of drawings back in 2003, when I
was a newly-arrived migrant in New Zealand, and was faced with the much known
struggles of integrating, coping and belonging in a new country”. At that
time, his situation was compounded with the misfortune of losing his father and
not being able to come back home. He turned to paper and ink to express his
sadness and solitude. “I expressed my intense emotions on paper canvas as
part of my grieving process. I had to look for inspiration in my art in order
to move forward. I created drawings based on my emotional experience and imagination.
"Ang pakiramdam ko ay para silang mga sugat na ayaw maghilom at kinakalkal
pati ang kailaliman ng aking bituka”, he intimated.
By immersing in his
past experiences from a distance, the artist has given them a place in his
life’s story, therefore achieving a sense of connection and harmony with his
past.
Forest Nymph, Ink on Paper, 2019
Melankolia’ is
not a debilitating state of resignation, but rather a reflective and uplifting
experience. Its contemplative feature, and association with people and places,
triggers an aesthetic response. The concept of melancholy has been explored in
various art forms, both in the modern and classical, and has brought
distinctive pleasure to artists and their viewers.
In his new exhibit, Pinggot Zulueta presents
twenty-one (21) drawings - some of which are vividly real, while others are
intriguingly faint and sketchy. “In this series of drawings, I have combined
both surreal and symbolic styles - there are no colours, only black and white
hues on canvas. I hope the audience will identify with the contemplative
perspective of each of the drawings, and dwell in the stillness of each visual
aria for some time ... even after the exhibit is long gone."
The exhibit runs from
16 to 31 January 2020, at The Saturday Group Gallery on the 4th level, East
Wing, Shangrila Plaza, EDSA, Mandaluyong City.
_________________________________________________________________
MELANCHOLY IN ART IS A MATURE EMOTION’
By Sara Grace C. Fojas
January 20, 2020
Start the year with a bang, as the saying goes. And that’s what Manila Bulletin Lifestyle’s resident photographer and artist Pinggot Zulueta did. He opened the year with “Melankolia,” a collection of his black-and-white drawings, an expression of his “complex and intense emotions.” His 21-piece exhibit, currently displayed at The Saturday Gallery of EDSA Shangri-la Mall until Jan. 31, represents memories and imaginings of distant places.
“It’s a contemplative body of works that is meant to be introspective and uplifting. ‘Melankolia’ is not just my story, it is also yours. It is about finding a connection with our inner selves and with others. It is about coming to terms with the struggles and difficulties we experience in life,” says Pinggot. “We all have moments when we experience sadness and futility—to acknowledge this and understand that other people might be going through similar struggles is something art can help us with. Melancholia in art is a mature emotion in which reflections calm a turbulent soul.”
The exhibit is a follow through on the melancholic temperament of the artist’s earlier exhibits, “Incepto” in 2016” and “Katharsis” in 2017. It is a collection of various elements ranging from hearts to vultures to moons and inner organs, even including the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and Belgian artist Rene Magritte. His Haunted Heart displays how the heart takes over the body, with an eye that sees only what it wants. On the other side of the room is the same heart, The Heart that Rules the Head, but this time the heart is already wrapped in thorns. But in The Wedding (Homage to Frida Kahlo and Magritte), two hearts are connected with these pains and thorns, and that makes them one—one with the struggles and fullness of life.
“Although my art has relative insignificance to the bigger issues of today, its theme ‘Melankolia’ may resonate more profoundly,” Pinggot says. “Life is complex, full of constant change no matter how we control it. There are times life tears us down, then we rebuild, and move forward. My heart goes to all those affected by the Taal Volcano eruption, and the many others in our country who continue to suffer from poverty, exclusion, and injustice. I continue to have faith in the Filipino spirit—and that we are capable of perseverance in the face of adversity. It is imperative that we maintain hope even when the harshness of our reality may suggest the opposite. Together we can create positive energies based on positive feelings of appreciation, gratitude, and compassion. I hope that this exhibition can be anchor for self-reflection and expression.”
All of these humble masterpieces are created with pen and ink on paper, with some spilled with a splash of coffee. The effect may be a little morbid at first, in every small and intricate detail. Yet as you go through the collection and reflect, you’ll find that life indeed is full of change, and in the end all we want is peace. Pinggot, in his years of creating art, has become one of the most recognized artists in the country. He has a gift of being out of this world, with a unique imagination that makes his art extraordinary. He’s not afraid to use different mediums from oil paint to found objects to words, and now back to the basic pen and paper. That makes him unique.
But more than his art, Pinggot never fails to recognize the work of his fellow artists. He created a book Filipino Artists in their Studios Volumes I and II, a collection of the artists’ stories, with their respective artworks and photographs, in cooperation with the Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation.
“I am an artist because it is simply what I need to do and what I do best. Emotion equals art, the brush on the canvas expresses my emotions,” Pinggot says. “It is my wish you would dwell in the stillness of each of the drawings and reflect on their meanings long after this exhibit is over. And I hope that you will find that the underlying message in all of the works is our collective ‘oneness.’”
‘Melankolia’ runs until Jan. 31 at The Saturday Group Gallery, Shangri-La Plaza, EDSA, Mandaluyong City.
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