MONOTONOUS 3

In the chaotic wail and gape of life, there is a need for the soul to stand still, to find space for the mind to breathe, to de-center in order to be centered. Amidst the split-second conversations and the numerous blaring obligations where we share ourselves in the spectrum of people and things, pockets of solace are sparse and far in between. It is in creating them ourselves that they begin to exist.

This is what Allain Hablo does. In his third solo exhibition, Hablo’s 25 mixed media works hint towards the title of his show. Monotonous 3 is an extension of Hablo's two previous one-man exhibitions that tote similar aesthetic approaches and principles. Through his monochrome paintings, Hablo shares what his creative practice provides him with-- a place where he is able to transcend the earthly pleasures and pains of this world.

Though known for his figurative works, Hablo prefers to engage in the abstract realm of painting, receiving a sort of self-therapy through the technique. Self-therapy is essential in living in this world, Hablo claims. With the complexities of man and his constant self-destruction, the act of self-healing is crucial for survival. Hablo’s paintings are his mind maps of his train of thought, sentiment and emotion, rooted in the cathartic nature of art.

Hailing from Iloilo, Hablo uses rudimentary materials such as soil and glue, along with paint in his artworks. The process that he employs in creating his pieces is a tedious one, strenuous on the body (as his paintings are often large in scale) yet ironically, soothing to his mind. Hablo says that most of his pieces take days to finish, and that sometimes one of the challenges is to know when to stop. Every subtlety in his works carry some intent that each nick, each scratch, each bump is situated exactly where the artist wants it to be.

From the contemplative nature of his works emanates a sense of poetry where the appropriation of elements is handled with careful purpose-- there is nothing wasted or purely accidental in Hablo's art. Only the steady presence of himself.

Opening at the Avellana Art Gallery on February 7, 2009, Monotonous 3 runs until February 28, 2009.

Avellana Art Gallery is located at 2680 FB Harrison St., Pasay City. Tel 8338357, avellana_gallery@yahoo.com Gallery hours are 10am to 7pm Monday to Saturday.