The art of life and heavenly bodies
"The Academy Collective" 2nd level main exhibition area, Qube Gallery; March 18 to April 5, 2016
Two recent art exhibits in the city, in March, were introspective of why artists should first learn all the rules before they break any. Both shows took place at Qube Gallery. The first - titled "The Academy Collective" - featured a series of works made by students and faculty of Foundation University in Dumaguete City, while the second - titled "Celestial" - showcased select pop-art-themed paintings by young Cebuano artist "Daot."
A part of the Qube's "Bright Eyes Series" by student-artists, "The Academy Collective" showcased the works of art students and artisteducators affianced with the Fine Arts program of Foundation University in Dumaguete City.
Headlined by a collaborative set of pottery-based figures by artist/instructor Takeshi Maruyama and his students, the exhibit also featured a several wallbound artworks made by Dumaguete's established artists Babbu Wenceslao and Hersley Van Casero.
Collectively, the show punctuated the capacity of visual art to outweigh decorative value with content - pointing out how cultural interactions, pop-culture dictates and life conditions in general work together to create the environment that predisposes the artist to his brand of art.
To a certain extent, "The Academy Collective" exhibit enthused that art - like life - is a lesson which can only be learned through the actual process of doing, and a lesson that cannot be learned individually but collectively.