Existing comment:
Luis Lorenzana (b. 1979) is a self-taught Filipino artist whose background in politics has infused his work with a cynicism that belies his longing for a kinder, more equitable world. The exhibition thus touches on the themes of a desperate kind of selfless heroism in a bewildering world. These are works that will have relevance to our current lives, and indeed, anywhere on this complex planet.
Lorenzana was born and raised in inner-city Manila; was a scholar in one of the Philippines' elite schools whose graduates were destined to take public office. He took a position with a prominent senator at the Philippine Senate, where he remained for four years (2001-2004). By 2005, he had become disillusioned by the inner workings of the so-called "corridors of power." It was this fall from idealism that would inform the content of his works from this period.
A suite of four painted portraits from 2006 memorialize four national heroes from Filipino history: Andrés Bonifacio (1863-1897), General Antonio Luna (1866-1899), Apolinario Mabini (1864-1903), and the Philippines' national hero, José Rizal (1861- 1896). These individuals were each persecuted for their efforts to liberate the Philippines from colonized rule. (Luna and Mabini were heroes of the Philippine- American War, a little-known chapter in America's history that foretold the Vietnam War.)
These heroes are depicted by Lorenzana as secular icons, albeit rendered in the vernacular style of street art posters. One of the centerpieces of the exhibition, Akeldama (2006) is a powerful depiction of Rizal as a sort of outer-space avenging angel, inspired by B-movie posters, liberating the country with his idealism in spectacular fashion.
A series of dramatic personal setbacks would also provide further indelible marks to his searing education. Thus, there are ironic paintings and incisive drawings that portray the folly of youth and pitiless love.
Lisa Guerrero Nakpil Coordinating Curator |