The Playful Mind and the Watchwoman

CEBU, Philippines - Boboy Buenaventura and Amihan Jumalon are Qube Gallery’s featured exhibiting artists this month, with both talents celebrating the opening ceremonies of their solo exhibitions last August 14 at The Henry Hotel.

Respectively entitled Playful Mind and Watchwoman, the two exhibitions, while different from each other in terms of artistic theme and style, manages to leave viewers with a positive aura – a youthful-but-not-naïve translucence that isn’t borne from after school confessionals nor derived from clumsy analogies that delve into the corrosive qualities of the signs of the times.

Working with Qube’s non-inhibiting operational philosophy as a gallery, both exhibitions are more than professional portfolio entries for its featured artists, but also proud markers that says a lot about the artistic growth and direction currently taking place in the region.

Buenaventura’s Playful Mind

“Slipstream” would be one word that could be used in describing Playful Mind as a show, given how its artist seamlessly combines figurative compositions with non-figurative elements in the creation of works.

Collecting more than 30 pieces crafted by Cebuano artist Boboy Buenaventura, each of the show’s featured pieces is a mélange of different themes and styles all rolled into one, not made for analysis or debate, but simply made for viewers to appreciate.

Working with a rich palette of hues, shades and tones, Buenaventura’s playful exploration in artistic creation is evident in Playful Mind, a quality that easily points to his passionate heart and creative center.

With a keen attention to detail and a solid understanding in the utilization of various mediums, implements and techniques, Playful Mind easily exemplifies Buenaventura’s unwavering creative tenacity.

Jumalon’s Watchwoman

While Watchwoman, as an exhibition, bears a dynamic take in the celebration of the female form, its overall execution also alludes to the utilization of visual art as a storytelling medium.

Gathering more than 15 works made by the Zamboanga-born and Dumaguete-raised Amihan Jumalon, the collection immerses its viewers into the challenges women confront on a day-to-day basis, successfully doing so without being sensational nor condescending in achieving its aesthetic goals.

In identifying the different ways individuals interact and define themselves, Watchwoman’s featured pieces are steeped with an anti-ephemeral quality, a quality that essentially frames Jumalon’s creative inclinations.

With works that combine the provocative sensibilities of thematic contrast with surrealist undertones, Watchwoman easily stands out as a distinct collection of masterfully made masterworks.

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Playful Mind and Watchwoman will be on exhibit until September 14, respectively in Qube at the Henry and in the 2nd Floor of The Henry Hotel, No 1 Paseo Saturina, Maria Luisa Road, Banilad. For more information, visit www.qubegallery.com or like Qube @ www.facebook.com/qubegallery