POSITIVITY IN CHAOS
Jay Torres’ works are about finding a kernel of hope in the dark
Jay Torres’ works are about finding a kernel of hope in the dark
‘I deal with chaos by just going with the flow. My solution is to observe it until I can build something good
from it.’
For artist Jay Torres, art is a chance to spread positivity. “Though my art was made from disturbing thoughts, there is always light at the end of the tunnel,” he says. Torres’ works are often surreal, showing how he sees life’s negativity but chooses, instead, to spread positive messages.
“The way I paint is like dissecting the meaning of beauty. Everything is temporary and change is constant— this is my style. For me, art is an unending process of experimentation. My paintings lead to a more simplified coalition of elements,” says the 27year- old painter.
Jay started painting in 2010. Like most artists, he discovered his skill when he was just a kid. He took BS Nursing in college but fate brought him back to his first true love—art. He would later take up Fine Arts, ma- jor in Advertising at the Far Eastern University. His big break came when he joined the Shell Art Competition in 2010. This motivated him to continue his passion.
“I started with surrealism, and then I was influenced to do figurative paintings. I felt that I should go back to doing basics, which is realism. From realism, I tried to deconstruct and reconstruct the figures through juxtaposition. But then, I felt restricted with realism. Now, I feel that my paintings have a life of their own,” he says.
He joined numerous group exhibits and competitions, which eventually led him to his first exhibit, “Moments of Uncertainties” ongoing until Nov. 21 in Art Underground. He says that this exhibit served as his entrance to the art world.
“It made me feel that this path is where I am supposed to be. Art is what I will be doing until I grow old,” he says.
His artworks show various situations where curiosity plays a big role, that despite the confusions in life, we ultimately realize that we are connected to each other.
Observing his paintings, you’ll see that instead of eyes, nose, or mouth, symbols occupy the faces of his characters. His painting Finding Huckleberry is about how you cannot choose the people you meet in life. For him, they are “trees that grew from seeds we spread through the chances we take, incidents we partake, and coincidences we sometimes deny.”
His other piece Rebuild, on the other hand, reflects his life. “The piece speaks of the chaos surrounding me. I deal with chaos by just going with the flow. My solution is to observe it until I can build something good from it. Positivity then takes place. Observance is signified by the big chair in the middle, the hammer on the chair symbolizes my belief that I can reconstruct, and the Lego piece implies I can build positivity from every elements of chaos,” he says.
814 Balagtas Street, Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City. 02 721-0745, artundergroundmanila@gmail.com, www.aumanila.com