Known as the Design Capital of the Philippines, Cebu is home to many avenues for the artists to explore. One of them being the Qube Gallery, a premier art space which aims to search, develop, and promote contemporary local talent by showcasing different exhibitions, both domestically and internationally. The gallery also collaborates with creative individuals and groups who share the same advocacy of spreading Cebu’s creative economy.
Today, June 20, Qube Gallery opens their newest exhibit called the “Ocean Sea”, curated by Joanna Vasquez Arong who also happens to be one of the exhibit’s featured artists. The exhibit is an ode to the deep dark seas and the power of nature.
Named after the enigmatic novel of the same name by Alessandro Barrico, the exhibit evokes the beauty, fury, and fragility of the ocean. The show brought together three artists who are deeply connected to the ocean, depicting a surreal universe playfully questioning the intricate relationship between humankind and the seas.
Olivia d’Aboville’s My Womb Is Your Ocean is a series of handwoven and hand-dyed silk works that pays tribute to Mother Earth, and d’Aboville’s love for the ocean. The issues of climate change, ocean pollution, and destruction of the environment have been key subjects in her works, hoping to raise awareness on the importance of protecting our environment. She feels the need to be close to the sea and hopes her kids will share the same respect and love for the ocean.
Meanwhile, Russ Ligtas’ new collection dubbed Sirens, Songs is a playful response to the plastic catastrophe he himself witnesses at shores near his home. Creating a new world of imagined creatures with recycled materials, taking back what was thrown into the ocean and spewed out in Manila Bay.
And Joanna Vasquez Arong goes back to her roots in experimental filmmaking with her new piece, Sampit sa Dagat (Call of the Sea), that touches on the subconscious and realizes dreams as it pays tribute to the sea, a respite she retreats to when doubts and fears come to overwhelm.
Dive in and visit the Qube Gallery from June 20 – July 16, 2019.
For more information, check the Qube Gallery Facebook page here.
