A Midsummer Night’s Reunion

MANILA, Philippines - Since its inception in 2011, The Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines has become a space where artists, scholars, craftsmen, and designers engage and exhibit their work of art.   

This year, aiming to strengthen collaborative endeavors, the Korean Cultural Center or simply KCC has organized/coordinated exhibitions of Philippine and Korean contemporary art.

The center featured the various trends and influences in the art of both noted Filipino and Korean artists in its exhibit “A Midsummer Night’s Reunion” launched last May 17.

The arts exchange exhibit is hinged on the summer season of the Philippines as it seeks to find a common ground for aesthetics for contemporary tastes. For the Filipino set, the participating artists are National Artist for visual arts Benedicto “Bencab” Cabrera; prominent installation artist Luis “Junyee” Yee, Jr. whose artwork was sourced through Galleria Duemila; Angono Rizal Province -based Nemesio “Nemiranda” Miranda Jr.; the abstractionist Raul Isidro; watercolorist Ephraim Samson; and printmaker Fil de la Cruz, known for integrating indigenous elements in his works. Representing the younger generation are Geraldine Javier, Mark Orozco Justiniani, Michael Adrao and Alfredo Esquillo Jr. whose works for this show were collectively sourced from Tin-aw Gallery.

Benedicto “Bencab” Cabrera's "CALAVERAS SHRINE"

Michael Adrao -"SUNOG" (Fire)

Fil de la Cruz - "KISAP MATA"

Nemesio “Nemiranda” Miranda Jr. - "FISHERMAN"

Geraldine Javier -  from left to right - "Pelvissomniumpapilio_E", "Costaesomniumblattaria_E", "Manussomniumcrustacea_E", and Vertebraesomniumanisoptera_E

Raul Isidro - "ASIAN WIND"

Luis “Junyee” Yee, Jr. - "NOON - NGAYON"

  The arts exchange exhibit is hinged on the summer season of the Philippines as it seeks to find a common ground for aesthetics for contemporary tastes. For the Filipino set, the participating artists are National Artist for visual arts Benedicto “Bencab” Cabrera; prominent installation artist Luis “Junyee” Yee, Jr. whose artwork was sourced through Galleria Duemila; Angono Rizal Province -based Nemesio “Nemiranda” Miranda Jr.; the abstractionist Raul Isidro; watercolorist Ephraim Samson; and printmaker Fil de la Cruz, known for integrating indigenous elements in his works. Representing the younger generation are Geraldine Javier, Mark Orozco Justiniani, Michael Adrao and Alfredo Esquillo Jr. whose works for this show were collectively sourced from Tin-aw Gallery.

Mark Orozco Justiniani - "HOLE"

The works from Korea are by Hwang Sung-joon, Park Gye-hoon, Oh Seung-min, Jeong Hye-jeong, Choi Uk, Lee Dong-jae, Hong Kyeong-tak, Choi Sung-du, Yoo Bong-sang and Hong Da-seul.

Jeong Hye-jeong - "SINLIMDONG - INTERSECTION"

Choi Sung-du - "PASSAGE OF TIME - CROWD OF LIFE"

Lee Dong-jae - "ICON"

Oh Seung-min - "GO SOMEWHERE 10"

Park Gye-hoon - "MATERIALIZING CONSIENCE"

Yoo Bong-sang - "E 20091103"

Hong Kyeong-taek - "PATIENCE"

Hwang Sung-joon - PAUSE

Hong Da-seul- "BEYOND THE SPACE"

The collection explores contemporary painting condition of strategies of aesthetic pluralism through the application of random materials and images painted over abstract fields of expressive mark making and figurative compositions.

Their works were sourced from the Korean Art Bank, which was established under the auspices of the National Museum of Contemporary Art as a support system for their homegrown talents through purchases of outstanding pieces of contemporary artworks. Along with these it has been a significant meeting point for Philippines and Korea, bringing together artists from varied background to engage in critical and creative display of their works and highlighted the best of the contemporary arts of both countries.

The exhibit will run until July 31.

For further information and queries, visit the Korean Cultural Center website or e-mail pr@koreanculture.ph. Poster of Exhibit is from KCC's Facebook Page.