Gavin S.

Curatorial Rationale

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Through the series of work in the exhibition, the theme of social class in the Philippines is explored. The classifications are - the lower class, the working class and the elite. 

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On the sub-theme of “The Poor” the artworks are: “Taong Grasa” (Homeless), “Weight of Poverty” and “Isang Kahig Isang Tuka” (Hand to Mouth Existence). For “The Working Class” the artworks are: “Sikit Sikit” (Squeeze In), “The Only Way Is Up” and “Lumipad” (To Fly). For “The Elite” that works are: “Rich People’s Bag”, “Hungry For Gold”, and “Basura-Couture” (Trash-Couture). 

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Being a Filipino made me realise that its citizens are not being treated equally, as the privileged may exert and abuse their power to those that are not well off, or hat the lower class does not have the same rights as those who have money. Seeing this issue made me feel like I need to address this through my artworks. My studios will expose how different social classes co-exist.

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My biggest inspiration came from artists who explored Surrealism and Expressionism like Salvador Dali and Marc Chagall. Dali’s ability to convey a message through illogical scenes to allow the subconscious mind to express itself inspired me.  Marc Chagall's work also influenced me to create “Sikit Sikit” (Squeeze In) and “Lumipad” (To Fly), as the human figures in both works show distortion to evoke emotions and ideas. 

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The mediums range from paintings to drawings to three-dimensional creations. Many materials correspond to the subject of each piece, just as each artwork depicts a different facet of socioeconomic classes. For example, "Taong Grasa" is done with charcoal and pen on vellum to further instill the concept of the lower class in the Philippines through the use of cheap materials. While some works employed expensive materials to demonstrate that they belonged to society's elite class. The size of the works varies in the same way as the mediums are used differently. I intended for the exhibition to include both large and smaller pieces in order to influence how audiences respond. The larger scaled mediums affect the visual senses and emotions, which humbles the viewers with a feeling of reverential respect.

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Throughout the variety of artworks, I feel that I have covered everything that is relating to the social classes in the Philippines. All the works have a very deep meaning in which it specifically ties truthfully to how the different classes are perceived. 

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I want the viewers of my exhibition to fully grasp the issue. To do this, I felt the urge to portray it through Expressionism, which is used in the studios: “Lumipad” and “Sikit Sikit”. These two works apply distortion of an event that happens in reality. By doing this, it allowed me to take an ordinary activity of the Philippines and apply much deeper context to it - digging deeper into the socio-cultural norms. 

The goal of shedding light on the various social classes in the Philippines is to expose them to the rest of the world. Many individuals overlook the impact of social class segregation on how people are treated, with people in higher social classes readily manipulating people in lower social classes. Seeing both sides of two very different worlds has enabled me to assess the good and bad. Larger communities that are impoverished are excluded, while some people in the upper class disregard the social injustice that is taking place. The large social class divide prevents them from seeing what is clearly happening, and I hope that by viewing my exhibition, viewers can acquire understanding and begin to look at things from a different perspective. The majority of the works are three-dimensional, which I believe is one of the exhibition's strengths. They have meaningful contexts, which accomplishes the concealed purpose. As an artist, I don't want to display an artwork that conveys everything at once; instead, I want viewers to look at it for a longer period of time to grasp the pain, grief, and possibly content. As a result, society will be able to advance and care for one another, assisting the Philippines to a brighter future.