Mula Sa Putik
I believe that the personality of the artist develops
and asserts itself through the struggles it has to go through
when pitted against other personalities.
- Henri Matisse
Anyone bitten by the creative bug will attest that it is something that one can not suppress. Call it an addiction, obsession, passion or even a way of life. However hard one may try to repress or choose to ignore it, the artist in you will surface and demand that its presence be felt in one way or another. It is the very mold in which you cast your essence.
Having gone through a number of uncertainties and misgivings Anna Varona has slowly but surely charted her path to this point in her life, where her artistry and continuing quest for self-expression are used as instruments to lay bare her identity and independence. Mula Sa Putik is a visual and tactile testament to this.
In this exhibition, Varona's creations highlight the equilibrium of volume and mass in relation to the space that it occupies. Each sculptural piece is touched with alluring grace and the composition of taste. One is absorbed by the subtle rhythm of the surfaces and the sensual quality of the forms she has created. Her works are allegorical combinations of antipodal sensibilities… lithe but firm, poignant yet witty, spirited but tangible.
Yet, one must not only be drawn by the aesthetic value of Varona's works. With each sculpture, she shares a part of her journey with us. Her voice of wisdom and experience is felt and translated.
Salaming Bulag, an 18" x 14 ½" x 12" stoneware incites one to question oneself, to realize who we truly are… behind the veneer of responsibilities of day to day living. This recognition holds the promise of empowerment. Si Felicia… Ang Martir is another piece that exemplifies the balance of figuration and substance. Inspired by the said martyr, Varona ably depicts the notion of freedom and acquiescence. In order to be free from the burden of hurt and anguish, one must accede to it as part and parcel of growth. Only then can true liberation happen, enabling one to begin anew.
Mula Sa Putik artworks depict one's innate ability to rise above conflict or hardship. Despite the difficulties, there is peace with acceptance and beauty in this realization.
Akin to the clay she has imaginatively shaped and fired to corporeal completion, Anna Varona has been strengthened, tempered and glazed by life's wondrous kiln.
I believe that the personality of the artist develops
and asserts itself through the struggles it has to go through
when pitted against other personalities.
- Henri Matisse
Anyone bitten by the creative bug will attest that it is something that one can not suppress. Call it an addiction, obsession, passion or even a way of life. However hard one may try to repress or choose to ignore it, the artist in you will surface and demand that its presence be felt in one way or another. It is the very mold in which you cast your essence.
Having gone through a number of uncertainties and misgivings Anna Varona has slowly but surely charted her path to this point in her life, where her artistry and continuing quest for self-expression are used as instruments to lay bare her identity and independence. Mula Sa Putik is a visual and tactile testament to this.
In this exhibition, Varona's creations highlight the equilibrium of volume and mass in relation to the space that it occupies. Each sculptural piece is touched with alluring grace and the composition of taste. One is absorbed by the subtle rhythm of the surfaces and the sensual quality of the forms she has created. Her works are allegorical combinations of antipodal sensibilities… lithe but firm, poignant yet witty, spirited but tangible.
Yet, one must not only be drawn by the aesthetic value of Varona's works. With each sculpture, she shares a part of her journey with us. Her voice of wisdom and experience is felt and translated.
Salaming Bulag, an 18" x 14 ½" x 12" stoneware incites one to question oneself, to realize who we truly are… behind the veneer of responsibilities of day to day living. This recognition holds the promise of empowerment. Si Felicia… Ang Martir is another piece that exemplifies the balance of figuration and substance. Inspired by the said martyr, Varona ably depicts the notion of freedom and acquiescence. In order to be free from the burden of hurt and anguish, one must accede to it as part and parcel of growth. Only then can true liberation happen, enabling one to begin anew.
Mula Sa Putik artworks depict one's innate ability to rise above conflict or hardship. Despite the difficulties, there is peace with acceptance and beauty in this realization.
Akin to the clay she has imaginatively shaped and fired to corporeal completion, Anna Varona has been strengthened, tempered and glazed by life's wondrous kiln.
MULA SA PUTIK
08 December 2007
The Boston Gallery
-- Marika B. Constantino
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