Wide awake at ‘2:55 AM’
For artist Yeo Kaa’s recent exhibit 2:55 AM, she took the cue from the colorful possibilities emerging from the state of being wide awake. Thoughts and musings during the wee hours of the morning became the subject of the canvases in this solo show.
The exhibit 2:55 AM is loaded with different meanings: it may be the time of day that some regard as conducive to creativity, a moment defined by a surge of creative impulses; or it may be the time that is a few minutes away from an hour that urban mythology popularly associates with spirits, fabled as the “hour of the devil” and often linked with the paranormal.
As an artist, Yeo Kaa ponders on worries and anxieties, pressures, restlessness, or plain random thoughts flowing out as she keeps awake when the rest of the world enjoys its slumber. She contemplates on the many contrasts between the joyful, carefree personality that one usually projects outward, and the real, inner self battling with challenges and struggles.
2:55 AM was presented at Secret Fresh Gallery in Greenhills, San Juan. The exhibit showcased not only Yeo Kaa’s paintings but her second limited edition designer toy as well.
The artist’s paintings and pieces of sculpture have always been well-received and her collector base is steadily growing. I am glad to have witnessed how this talented artist has become better and better in today’s thriving art scene.
Congratulations, Yeo Kaa!
Art with a Heart
The Rotary Club of Makati West (RCMW) held its annual Alay Sining, an exhibit and sale of the works of the country’s leading and up-and-coming artists to benefit the treatment of indigent children afflicted with congenital heart disease.
The event, with the theme “Art with a Heart,” is now on its ninth year. It is run under the auspices of the Gift of Life International (GOLI), an organization that arranges funding for the treatment of children with congenital heart disease. In the Philippines, the GOLI charities are spearheaded by the RCMW. Through the tireless efforts of members and supporters, these children continue to receive treatment and surgery for free.
This year, the artists featured with their pieces of sculpture increased in number. This year also marked the first time that paintings were included in the event.
All artists extended their help generously, among them were Glenn Cagandahan, Sam Penaso, Jaime Nepomuceno, Jojit Nagamos, Adel Agubang, Jinggoy Buensuceso, Kenneth Cobonpue and more.
The Rise of the Owlman
The rise of talented artists in the current art scene is undeniable. Secret Fresh Gallery continues to be a platform for these artists to showcase their passion and creativity.
Recently, the gallery featured the first solo exhibit of artist Brian Bernardo titled “From Parts Unknown (Rise of the Owlman).”
Throughout his life journey, Brian has always been an introvert. With majority of his time spent alone, he became more introspective and intuitive. This introspection led him to the discovery of his three different personalities — The Virtuoso, The Voyager and The Nobleman — which were also the titles of his three large paintings in the exhibit.
Brian is also known as “The Owlman,” a label given to him for his large eyes and pale complexion, and his artworks are his self-portraits, his life shared through visual representation.
In this same show, he creates his first designer toy of an “owlman” with 30 regular pieces and 10 one-of-a-kind custom pieces. In creating his own limited edition designer toy, Brian now joins the likes of esteemed artists such as National Artist for Visual Arts BenCab, Mark Justianiani, Lynyrd Paras, Joy Mallari, Geraldine Javier, Luis Lorenzana, Gene Paul Martin, Ronald Ventura, Iya Consorio, Andres Barrioquinto and Onib Olmedo, all of whom have also made their designer toy at Secret Fresh.
Brian’s works show maturity and I am truly happy he has finally done his first solo exhibition.
Congratulations, Brian! It’s your turn to shine.
(Secret Fresh Gallery is located at the ground floor of RONAC Art Center, Ortigas Avenue, Greenhills, San Juan City. For more information, call 570-9815, local 7.)
Celebrating stability
The 114-year-old Citi Philippines, the country’s largest foreign bank, marked its 30th anniversary of serving corporate clients in the Philippines with Direct Custody & Clearing Services.
Asia head Jeffrey Williams flew in to celebrate this milestone with clients and hosted an intimate reception at The Peninsula Manila. Williams was joined by ASEAN head Amol Gupte, Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed, markets and securities services head Paul Favila and securities services director Theresa Reyes.
Citi announced that it will begin offering account operator services to broker-dealers in the Philippines, a first in the country. By using this service, clients can establish and maintain market visibility in the country, while minimizing their operational footprint by leveraging the bank’s post-trade processing infrastructure, local expertise and market connectivity. Through this, Citi is meeting the demand for low-cost, proven infrastructure and lowering the entry barrier for broker-dealers entering into the Philippine market.
Williams said the account operator services will “connect global customers to the global markets.” He said there has been an acceleration of regulatory change since the financial crisis and that for many clients, it is not just about choosing a custodian with operational capability and service standards. They also need to look for a custodian with the proper risk and control environment.
The client reception was preceded by the signing of a memorandum of agreement among Citi, the Philippine Stock Exchange and the Securities Clearing Corporation of the Philippines (SCCP) to officially mark the accreditation of Citi as a settlement bank that will support SCCP in the secure and timely processing of payments and disbursement of funds with its clearing members. After the signing, Citi senior officers were invited to move to the trading floor and ring the bell to signal the start of the day’s trading. Gupte delivered brief remarks on behalf of Citi and thanked the PSE and SCCP for their partnership.
Walk your way to fitness
How cool is it when your go-to fitness device reminds you to take your much-needed walk for the day?
Fitbit, a leader in the connected health and fitness market, introduced its two new amazing products in the Philippines — the Fitbit Charge2 and Fitbit Flex2.
The Fitbit Charge2 is an improved version of Fitbit’s bestselling tracker, the Fitbit Charge. It has amazing new features using PurePulse heart rate tracking, enhanced exercise experience, new health and fitness tools and call, text and calendar notifications. I had the pleasure of trying out this product before it hit the market and I’m absolutely motivated to get moving. What’s even better is its bands are interchangeable so one can wear the tracker from day to night.
The Fitbit Flex2 is the brand’s first-ever swim-proof fitness wristband. This ultra-slim wristband features a removable tracker that transforms with classic bands and elegant bangles or pendants, allowing one to effortlessly track all-day activity, exercise and sleep.
Fitbit Southeast Asia country manager Louis Lye and product marketing manager for Asia Pacific Alexander Healy flew to Manila to formally launch these products.
I now use both the Fitbit Charge2 and Fitbit Blaze, interchanging the two depending on my mood and either of the two products actually reminds me (by vibrating every now and then) to walk! It still is my goal to consistently do the recommended 10,000 steps a day.
(The Fitbit Charge2 and Fitbit Flex2 are available at major retailers including Digital Walker, Beyond the Box, select Toby’s stores, iBOOK, iCENTER, Mobile1, Globe, Gadgets in Style, Hivemind, Lazada, Zalora, Timeline, The Inbox Store, iLiberty and Runnr stores.)
(Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)
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