Tropical Storm - Tracking Ernest Concepcion's whirlwind Manila campaign
Feb 15. Yey, I’m home! or just visiting…
Wow. Rain.
Ok, time to paint. Just gettin’ ready. ASTIG to da max.
I think I want to go back to my roots, too. Ya know, gain some good vibes. I didn’t really come from that place – I just wanted to look for a place that has my name on it. Lol.
I did see one of my ancestors.
Deep thoughts with Mr. Ernest.
I can’t find my phone.
Just don’t forget to dream, okay?
And keep on fighting, amigo.
Tadaaaaaaahhhh!!! Ready for the West Gallery show. (dog not included)
But first, a show at Art Informal! That was fun! Thanks Sidd and Cos and Tina!
ALL QUIET ON THE EASTERN FRONT at Blanc Gallery Manila Peninsula.
Finally, a Liger.
Enamel on acetate.
Workin’ with oil pastels on the wall.
Taaaadddaaahhhhh!!!!!!
VERSUS, with Vic Balanon at Secret Fresh Gallery.
Success!!!
August, time to go back to US. Sigh. Goodbye Philippines. See you soon!
This is a recap of my MANILA CAMPAIGN in full detail with links:
The Great Ghastly, at Art Informal Gallery, May 9 2012 (group show)
Great Ghastly in Art Informal convenes multiple voices addressing a variation of the single artistic format of Drawing. The artists are a group of angry, angsty (young-ish) men at the verge of a vacillant Eden - whose works contain a reverberation of suspended youth and a strong sense of Coming-of-Age, a strong sense of a coming of Something.
My works at Great Ghastly.
PUSO + DAGA, at West Gallery, May 17 2012 (SOLO show)
The exhibit featured a dozen enamel on canvas paintings of varying dimensions. The artist drew inspiration from Filipino culture including religious icons and product labels. Ernest further explored the materiality of enamel paint by pouring it directly on a stretched canvas laid flat. The spills and drips and textures created using this painting technique may seem arbitrary, but the way the artist “herds” the paint without using traditional paint brushes to conform to the images on canvas is nothing short of impressive. Works at the West Gallery can be viewed here.
Show writeup on BusinessMirror.
Some of the works at PUSO + DAGA.
BEAT, at the Lopez Memorial Museum, May 19 2012 (2-person show with Nikki Luna)
The Lopez Memorial Museum continues its explorations of the intersections of the colonial and recent past alongside contemporary issues with its current exhibition called Beat. Curated by Eileen Legaspi-Ramirez and with artistic direction provided by Claro Ramirez Jr., Beat encourages the wordplay which comes with the summoning of dual meanings.
More info here.
TV Interview.
Blog about the exhibition.
All Quiet on The Eastern Front, at Blanc Gallery Manila Peninsula, May 26 2012 (SOLO show)
More than being merely besting each other for territorial dominion and artistic prowess as like a kung fu showdown, this becomes a metaphorical platform for the dynamics of creative work, especially that of collaborations which is as much rooted in managing discordant differences yet begetting a more wholistic work. This collaboration is one of the most anticipated this year as both artists are highly regarded for their virtuosity in their chosen medium of ink and acrylic, and their bravura in wrapping walls with robust ingenuity and imaginative narrative content.
Some of my works at the show.
VERSUS, at Secret Fresh Gallery, RONAC Art Center, July 21 2012 (collaboration with Victor Balanon)
More than being merely besting each other for territorial dominion and artistic prowess as like a kung fu showdown, this becomes a metaphorical platform for the dynamics of creative work, especially that of collaborations which is as much rooted in managing discordant differences yet begetting a more wholistic work. This collaboration is one of the most anticipated this year as both artists are highly regarded for their virtuosity in their chosen medium of ink and acrylic, and their bravura in wrapping walls with robust ingenuity and imaginative narrative content.
View a blog about the show.
More images of the works at VERSUS.
My feature on Contemporary Art Philippines Magazine, June 2012 Issue.
A full-page article about my work on Manila Bulletin, June 4, 2023.
Some photos taken by Isi Laureano, Johannes Flores Dayrit, Romeo Lee, Luis Santos and Ana Verayo.
About Ernest Concepcion
Ernest Concepcion was born in Manila, Philippines where he received his BFA then moved to the US in 2002. It was in the lonely town of Englewood, New Jersey where he began The Line Wars, a series of black and white drawings depicting opposing forces engaged in ridiculous battle based on the entertainments of childhood and adolescence. He moved to Brooklyn and participated in a number of art residencies including the LMCC Workspace Program, the Bronx Museum of Art Artists-in-the-Marketplace (AIM) program, the Artists Alliance Inc. Rotating Studio Program, the Lower East Side Printshop Keyholder Residency, the LMCC Swing Space Program at Governors Island with The Shining Mantis and an artist residency in Beijing, China via NY Arts. Through extensive studio time and experimentation, he eventually broke away from the formulaic style of the drawings and explored different approaches to conflict creating an entirely new series of works including painting, sculpture and installation. With a significant body of work, Concepcion was able to exhibit both here and abroad and has had a number of solo shows in the last few years. In 2011 he was both a New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) finalist in the Drawing Category and a Nominee for the Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant. Currently, he is a full-time artist making new works and a graphic novel based on the conflict-ridden planet of Ona to be released soon.
