Cablog goes solo at Art Center
REPRESENTING the dynamic art scene of the Cordilleras, Baguio-based artist Jef Cablog (b. 1981) takes his layered portraitures of folk narratives to the SM Megamall Art Center for his first one-man show.
Well-known in the Baguio-based art community, Cablog’s alluring imagery evokes the strong story-telling customs of the Cordilleras, a region celebrated for its unique and vibrant cultural traditions.
The narrative structure of Cablog’s works plays with his aesthetical technique involving the charming use of layers and light. His highly textured oeuvre, eschewing a brush for palette knives, lends an intensely spiritual aura that is evocative of nature.
Cablog, who hails from Barlig, Mountain Province, creates works that are earthy, but nuanced with lights and layers reminiscent of National Artist Vincente Manansala, whom he considers a major influence. The effect is kaleidoscopic, with the reflections and refractions almost shimmering with transparent layers. This mastery of fragmented light brings to mind another influence—that of Vienna Secessionist Gustav Klimt.
Cablog’s compositional sensibilities are subtle, albeit filtered through the intensely regional orientations of his subjects. He is deeply proud of his Cordillera heritage, which shows in his works.
Cablog attended fine arts classes at the