El Foco Interior

CEBU, Philippines - El Foco Interior, a unique collection of photographs and paintings by Jessie Saclo III and Mimi Maruri, does well in illustrating the broad fabric known as the realm of visual arts.

Celebrating its opening last May 17 at the G. Gallery in A.S. Fortuna, the show is far from being your average painting + photography exhibition, with each of its featured pieces borne from the artistic inclinations and technical flair of their respective creators.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Maruri’s works stand out as El Foco Interior’s “painting component”, whose overall aesthetic drive is embellished with a sense of nostalgia, melancholy and wonder.

Predominantly using earth tones and neutrals in accomplishing her visual ideals, a paradoxical sense of ennui and euphoria can be found in Maruri’s works, a feat which she does so well in combining the grounds of representational styles with the principles of abstraction.

The photographs of Jessie Saclo III, which comprises El Foco Interior’s “photography component”, also stand out in conveying a sense of wonder to viewers, taking their thematic cues from the visual sensibilities inherent in expressionist-themed artworks.

An artist himself, Saclo’s playful explorations in the utilization of movement, light and color are matched by his keen manipulation of color temperatures and long camera exposures, yielding to vibrant photographic compositions that are a cut above the rest.

As individual artists, both Maruri and Saclo have respectively taken part in past exhibitions and shows, each devoted in honing their skills as students of the artistic realms.

But as they are students in the world of art, Maruri and Saclo are educators by profession, with Maruri teaching Spanish in Cebu International School (CIS), while Saclo is CIS’ Primary School Art Teacher, as well as the University of the Philippines Cebu’s Photography Instructor.

On exhibit until June 1, all of Cebu is invited to visit El Foco Interior at the G Gallery. (FREEMAN)