KENICHI WANI BRINGS HIS ART TO CEBU
Art is not a hammer which molds reality; it functions as a mirror and reflects it instead. As art explores worlds beyond the reach of human interaction, it reflects society in an unlikely manner making commentaries underneath aesthetic representations. These statements and stories that artists hope reach their audience travel through different processes. And in this ever-changing society, sometimes these do not always reach the people despite best intentions.
Kenichi Wani, a Japanese-Filipino artist best known for his seemingly playful and childlike icon with a big round head, a round nose and black round dots for eyes has fought and once lost to the resistant Cebuano market. However, after his comeback with his first solo exhibit in 2015, his icon known as Odi has evolved and what was once his thesis for the UP Cebu Fine Arts program is now a recurring image that stands as the artist’s brand.
Described as cute but a little eerie, Odi, or the artist’s alter ego which he paints as his subject in his paintings, started his journey in Wani’s first solo exhibit in 2015 with Odi’s Adventure to the Wild. His first solo show represented in symbolic representations, the icon’s introduction to the “wild,” which according to the artist, was an operative word for the Cebu art scene which at first was quite unaccepting of
Wani’s form of art.
Now as 2017 begins, the audience gets to know more about this cute little character named Odi in his second solo show in Qube Gallery entitled Odi’s Age of Innocence. The exhibit portrays a few of Odi’s firsts and significant events that happen throughout one’s childhood. According to the artist, the paintings show his own baby steps, the ones he took as he got to know more of the world around him. The paintings seemingly show photographs of Odi’s childhood in his surreal pastel colored world and his audience gets to relate to this character as they see a reflection of their own colorful childhood.
Despite being portrayed as having no mouth and only dots for eyes, Odi is far from being emotionless as each of the paintings speaks of a significant story and it portrays much innocence and wonder reflected by the character’s gestures and colorful surroundings.
The exhibit was launched on Jan. 7 and will be up for display until Feb. 10 in the Qube Gallery located in Crossroads Banilad, Cebu City. / Contributed Fotos