Wazzup Pilipinas!
The Julian Ongpin Young Artists (JOYA) Gallery is now officially open immediately after the launch held on Thursday, the 1st of October, 2015, at the JOYA gallery located on the second floor of Alphaland Makati Place. Alphaland Makati Place is located on the corner of Malugay and Ayala Avenue Extension in Makati
Drinks and hors dʼoeuvres, amidst entertainment from an oldies but goodies band, were served throughout the evening at The City Clubʼs Club Lounge located on the fourth floor of Alphaland Makati Place.
One greatly recognized function of art is to act as a shining beacon and mirror to the subconscious. In light of this, JOYA gallery is pleased o announce its debut show entitled FRONTIERS, featuring emerging Australian artist Henry Curchod (Sydney) with his series “Reductions,” and established Filipino commercial photographer Artu Nepomuceno (Manila) with his first abstract offering entitled “Psychedelic Warfare.”
JOYA is a new contemporary art gallery set on showcasing emerging international artists alongside a select stable of the country’s emerging and most inspired artistic talent. As youthfulness and young art are a reflection of one's inner sensibility rather than of age, it is only fitting that JOYA will cater to all demographics and represent artists of all ages and stations of life; in this vein, a path towards both quality and passion is earnestly illuminated.
Showcasing the different states of movement and tension within each artist’s collection, FRONTIERS aims to highlight the differing stages of spiritual and emotional balance that have surfaced in the constantly changing landscape of our consciousness.
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Artu Nepomuceno on his body of work for FRONTIERS:
“What was birthed in chaos, ends with us. ‘Psychedelic Warfare’ is a chronicled exploration of the phases of life lost and gained in a single process. It is the stages of near destruction where existence reaches a turning point. It is the accusation that perhaps humanity bears the responsibility for its own doom through its own irresponsibility. It is the question of whether we have failed in most everything except one: destroying a home without known replacement, or if we have passed through these trials of tension in one or more pieces, ready to heal. Ultimately the choice rests with us.”
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| Here is what Julian Ongpin has to say: |
While it might not be immediately evident, the blood and passion of artists flow in my veins. As a teenager growing up in Sydney, Australia, I was a fanatical graffiti artist, which thankfully, impressed upon me a special appreciation for composition and line work, and also ceded an ability to recognize emerging styles. My late mother, Della Stone, was herself an avid collector of both Australian and Philippine art, and the walls of the house I grew up in Sydney were mostly covered with her collection.
On my father’s side, I am a direct descendant of the first great Filipino painter, Damian Domingo. My great-great grandfather, Roman, had an art supply shop called El 82 and was the friend and patron of many Filipino artists and indeed helped fund the revolution. My great grandfather, Alfonso T. Ongpin, is still famous today for his collection of Lunas, Hidalgos, Amorsolos and many other renowned Filipino artists. Most of his collection is now with the Araneta family and in the Lopez Museum. My father, Roberto, while not an artist in the normal sense of the word, maintains his hand through creating such wonders as Tagaytay Highlands, Alphaland Makati Place, and the Balesin Island Club.
My Tita Deanna Ongpin-Recto was former Vice President and Art Director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Philippine Representative to the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, and manager of the Alliance Francaise Manila gallery, where she emphasized her staunch support of international culture and of the Filipino. My Tita Maribel Ongpin and her daughter Lisa Ongpin Periquet have contributed greatly to our art scene through their involvement in such renowned programs as Art in the Park and Art Fair Philippines. Tita Maribel was also former President of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines. It is the strength and sincerity of these women that I hope to draw on and mirror going forward.
I am most proud of my older brother Stephen, who is recognized as one of the leading authorities in the world for his expertise in Old Master Drawings. I look to his gallery in London, Stephen Ongpin Fine Art, as inspiration in setting up my own space. One of my life's greater experiences up until now has been spending a week with him in Maastricht, Holland where he was one of the leading exhibitors at The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF).
My cousin and her mother, Mia and Elaine Herbosa, are also recognized Filipino artists, both of whom I admire greatly. My stepmother, Monica, who lives near Florence in Italy, has been a lifelong painter and has exhibited many times in Italy. Both Monica and Mia attended the esteemed Art Students League of New York.
And so, while it may not be immediately evident, the blood and passion of artists flow in my veins. Like those who have come before me, I hope to shine a light that is both refined and sincere, and in this way share something great with the world.