Demosthenes Campos at The Crucible

MANILA, Philippines - Demosthenes Campos presents his recent works in his fifth solo exhibition titled “My Inspiration Was Born,” which opens tomorrow, 6 p.m., at The Crucible Gallery, fourth floor, SM Megamall A, Mandaluyong City.

The paintings were inspired by the birth of Demosthenes and wife Rowena’s son Bjork, and thus the artworks are more colorful, playful, and uncharacteristically childlike for the artist known for his dark somber hues, craggy textures, strips of coarse material and an amalgam of incompatible materials. 

“I mix materials that are not supposed to be mixed,” the artist explains. “Like oil, acrylic, water, muriatic acid, wood stain and rubbing alcohol, among others.”

“First Step”

Demosthenes’ purpose is to find out how these materials will corrode each other on canvas, so as to recreate what he steps on and encounters every day: cracked roads, potholes, excavated surfaces. Thus, the artworks are all about corrosion and corruption in both literal and metaphorical levels.

 His latest abstracts — if you could call them as such — can be seen as suggestive of the figure of an infant, and so do titles like “First Step,” “Wet Dreams,” “Malnourished” and “Lasting Mark.” A departure of sorts for the abstractionist.

The show is on view until March 21.

For information, call Chari Elinzano or Inas Amoyo at 635-6061.

“Lasting Mark”