Empires of Memory

Written By Kevin Roque

Empires and our minds share conceptual parallels. Empires exert influence over territories and populations through acts of violence and conquest: established systems crumble, and borders are redefined. Similarly, our minds have memories that shape our personal history. The internal struggles within our mindscape, where long-forgotten memories resurface and past traumas begin to unravel, shape our psyche in an ongoing quest for control in our lives.

This concept is further explored in the artworks of Rommel Joson, Manuel Mesina III, Teta Tulay, Lucylle Cawaling, and Julien Tan:

Rommel Joson's 'Primer' is a leporello book that portrays the impact of violence fueled by disinformation and disruptive technologies. By using asemic glyphs and skillfully blending imagery from basal reader textbooks, Joson seamlessly combines innocent children's book illustrations with visuals of destructive machines.

Manuel Mesina III edits documentation of his recent work through a site, revealing his exploration of gaze and connection with nature. In his anthropo-scene, he reconfigures everyday situations, reshaping the narrative from materialism to his own sense of urgency within a changing climate regime.

Teta Tulay's mural depicts the unforgettable struggles of Oplan Bantay Laya, a cold-blooded war targeting civilians as combatants. In a visual narrative on a white wall, parts of the story are rendered in white as remembered, gradually fading into a wall of ephemeral documentation.

Lucylle Cawaling's installation, 'Intrusive Thoughts,' features a spiky bed, revealing how unpleasant memories infiltrate such comforting spaces.

Julien Tan's childhood in a grocery store made a significant impression on him. Similar to how pop artists use consumer goods as their subject, Tan's “Hunt's Pork and Beans” highlights the potency of everyday objects. It shows the influence of mass media and consumerism in our society. The rough illustration style is a reaction against the polished quality of such advertisements.

Source:

Exhibition notes at UP Fine Arts Gallery.

Published in University of the Philippines (UP) social media accounts.

Kevin Roque

Utilizing a collage approach in drawing, Kevin Roque offers enigmatic works that touch on societal issues and literary perspectives. Roque graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting) at the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2022. Before this, he was a self-taught artist, creating illustrations and book covers for locally published books. Roque has participated in various group exhibitions in Metro Manila since 2010 and has had solo exhibitions at the Prism Gallery and the Center for Art, New Ventures & Sustainable Development (CANVAS) Gallery. He also joined local artist residencies such as CANVAS Artist in Residence in Batangas and Linangan Art Residency in Cavite. Recently, he got shortlisted for the first SANAG UP Art Prize. Roque has been a member of several artist groups, including the UGATlahi Artist Collective, Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (InK), and the Malate Literary Folio.

As a skilled worker who values technical skill and craftsmanship, he uses graphite in drawing to capture the gritty details and nuances of his subjects, making it a powerful storytelling tool to illustrate issues such as inequality, labor conditions, or societal injustices. In his compositions, he seemingly blurs notions of reality and perception. This deliberate blurring of boundaries adds layers of depth and intrigue, inviting viewers to contemplate their fluidity and subjectivity. He also employs visual metaphors, where images stand in for larger ideas or narratives. This allows him to convey complex themes or stories in a condensed and evocative manner.

“In all his works, the referents, whose meanings are culled from history, literature, and present social conditions, are made to exist in the same pictorial plane. Often, what they signify, coincide, collude, and blur. Roque’s inchoate marks and textures also draw attention to a palpable sense of space. Instead of a tabula rasa, one discerns faint and obscure stirrings between and amid more established significations. Roque’s works reveal indications of progressive politics yet veer from direct fervor and incitement of emotions. Without discarding the seriousness of the topic, Roque employs more oblique methods that prod at the surfaces and forms of the nation’s socio-historical and political issues“ (JC Rosette).

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