A tapestry of tales and travails • PhilSTAR Life

This November, there are three one-man shows at Altro Mondho that revolve around the themes of personal history, loss, and the juxtaposition of varied cultures. One is by renowned Chilean artist Francisco Sepulveda and two by young Filipinos Joshua Barrera and Nicolei Buendia Gupit. All three began their artistic foray at a young age, come from countries colonized by Spain and embarked on journeys that enriched their perspective. Yet the three artists have different points of view and aesthetics.

The result is a tapestry of the shared human experience that resonates with everyone, giving the exhibits at Altro Mondo, which means “Another World,” the depth of a museum visit.

Tejidos Invisibles by Francisco Sepulveda

It was Francisco’s grandmother, a painter, who handed him paints and brushes when he was 15. He went on to study drawing, painting, and printing at the School of Fine Arts in Santiago, Chile. He experimented printmaking techniques with Cuban artist Wilfredo Lam, who was inspired by Afro-Cuban culture.

Francisco is a multi-awarded artist with works acquired by the New York Public Library, the National Library of Spain in Madrid, the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels, the Museo Nacional del Grabado in Buenos Aires, among others.

Francisco Sepulveda with his works at Altro Mondo

Born in 1977, Francisco has traveled extensively and lived in Mozambique before his current residence in France.

“My father is a native Indian from the south of Chile, my mother is Spanish with a mix of Italian, Catalan, and German (heritage),” he explains. “First of all I am very interested in pre-Hispanic culture and in history and archeology. I am interested in all cultures like that of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. I bring all these together because I believe we are all invisibly connected in some way.”

*The Golden House:* “This painting speaks about sacrifice. The native woman is risking her life to cross a dangerous place to offer her gold house to someone. This is a little bit autobiographical. My great-grandmother was a native from the Mapuche from Chile. She’s sacrificing her culture for integration into a white society where she doesn’t belong, and where she will be looked at as a second-class person because she’s native.”

Francisco makes up his own mythology within a galaxy populated by deities, humans, animals and plants, half-humans and animals, and even half-humans and plants.

“Some of my animals have mythological meanings and some of them are mixed with personal imagination,” he says. “For example, flying snakes with leaves are inspired by the idea that we (pre-Hispanic cultures) received a mythological legacy from our Mongolian and Siberian ancestors. We adapted the dragon into a snake with feathers. The horse is another example of a mythological animal that has become a totem in my paintings, because the Spaniards brought horses to South America. With syncretism, the horse became sacred to the natives.”

*The Marriage Proposal:* “This painting with a boy on a boat is about me, so a little autobiographical too. This young boy is crossing oceans and seas, climbing mountains, killing dragons and snakes to get near to the woman he loves. No matter what, he is going to get her.”

Totems refer to natural objects that have a spiritual significance to a particular people, while syncretism is the practice of combining different ideas and beliefs, forms, and practices from a variety of sources. Francisco adds, “Birds, snakes, rabbits, dragons, and crocodiles—all animals make part of my big totem, or my big theater.”

*The Cosmic Journey*: “This is about the magical meeting of the snake god and a native woman. It is a romantic tale I invented about how love starts.”

He describes his style as “neo-primitif, neo-romantic, neo-surrealist, and wild.” He translates his views on life, love, and dreams into bold, colorful works with a lightness that approaches even heavy subjects like colonization with humor.

On this, his first trip to the Philippines, he has already visited the different branches of the National Museum including Natural History, Archeology, and others. No doubt he is already imbibing the Philippines’ unique blend of cultures.

Zephyr by Joshua Barrera

At 25, Joshua Barrera belongs to a clan known for generations of architects, fashion designers and visual artists that began with maternal grandparents Pablo Antonio, National Artist for Architecture, and his fashion-designing wife Marina Reyes Antonio.

Joshua Barrera with his mountain-themed works

When Joshua was young, his parents decided not to send him to art classes, allowing him to develop a unique style and technique.

“My style is a combination of techniques in pointillism, Southeast Asian ethnic pattern design, Japanese ink painting, and a bit of pop art,” says Joshua. “When I create my art, I equally value the individuality and collectivism of every dot, stroke, and shape of color because they all matter in the story and visual impact of every piece.”

*The Minokawa (Sun Eater):* “This artwork is my take on the mythical bird-like creature from Bagobo tales in Mindanao. According to folktales, it was once a small tagak (heron) living near human settlements that grew larger, wiser and more powerful over a thousand years. It became a majestic being, revered and feared like a deity. However, as its size and power grew, so did its appetite. Hence, its name ‘the sun eater.’ The Minokawa was used by the Bagobo peoples as a way to explain the phenomena of solar eclipses. “Being fascinated with local folklore, I wanted to showcase the richness of our own (the Philippines, which has borrowed creatures and tales from Hindu, Chinese, Southeast Asian, and Spanish /Mexican folklore). To me, the creature is a symbol of perseverance, courage, and growth that takes time. “I did not want to paint it in typical fashion of the bird on its back with both wings spread on the left and right of the viewer. I challenged myself to paint it like viewers would see it from the side. In particular, I wanted it to look like the bird was twirling in the sky.”

*Cloud Walker:* “This is about traversing one’s own thoughts, imagination, and dreams in solitude. Beneath the boy’s straw coat is an elegant garment with cloud motifs that represents all the ambitions and legacies he carries with him. It is, likewise, a fantastical and symbolic self-portrayal of my state of being—knowing that many of life’s battles will have to be faced alone, but with guidance, love, family, and friendships encouraging me to forge on.”

*Wishes to Be Scattered:* “The dandelion is a symbol for wishes, healing, and resilience. This small artwork is a simple depiction of the flower’s seeds waiting to be scattered by the wind to many places—just like how the many little steps we take in the various paths of life lead to defining moments that make our story.”

Mother/land by Nicolei Buendia Gupit

You might think that the installation pieces of Nicolei Buendia Gupit pertain only to the Pinoy diaspora of immigrants and OFWs. But truth be told, there are other races and peoples that have moved outside of their country to seek greener pastures. This makes her exhibit relevant to an international audience.

Nicolei was born in Los Angeles, California to Filipino parents who emigrated to the US in the 1970s. She spent a few years in her mother’s hometown of Rosario, Cavite, and started drawing as soon as she could hold a pencil.

In high school, she interned at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art which introduced her to modern and contemporary art. With a full scholarship, she studied Studio Art at Williams College in Massachusetts and obtained a master’s degree from Michigan State University. In 2022, she returned to the Philippines on a US Fulbright grant to create installation art focusing on the human toll of climate change in the Philippine. She has exhibited at Art Fair, Boston Art Gallery, and Altro Mondo.

Her installation pieces for Mother/land include collages with distressed passports, old family photos, documents, and other materials.

“I have observed that Filipinos based here often view Filipinos living and working abroad as being privileged, successful or lucky. In response, I was compelled to create artwork that tells a more complex story of the Filipino Diaspora: I wanted my work to share that more often than not, the experiences of Filipinos in the diaspora are of severe loss, grief, sacrifice, and tragedy.

“In my case, we are not able to gather as a complete family because family members live geographically apart. Ever since my mother and her generation emigrated, we have also had to sever our connection to the places, culture, and people of the motherland. I would like my exhibition to express my longing and desire for those lost connections.

“Ultimately, many Filipinos leave because of socioeconomic and political factors that pressure them to find work abroad. Our lives are intimately intertwined with global capitalism which exploits disadvantaged and impoverished people. I hope my exhibition expresses the complications of the Filipino diaspora through my family’s experience as a case study.

“My artwork is processed-based, and also influenced by conceptualism and materialism. In ‘Mother/land,’ the process of making handmade paper allowed me to make layered, segmented and fragile-looking works of art. This reflected my sense of identity and memory as being unstable, multilayered and fragmentary. Materials like abaca and lottery scratch-off tickets are intertwined with the concepts I want to convey.

“In this sense, my art practice does not have a clear visual art style, because usually each project uses unique processes and materials based on the ideas I intend to express in my work.”

TAGS: Altro Mondo Art Gallery Francisco Sepulveda Joshua Barrera Nicolei Buendia