About the Event
Way back in December, 1953, a unique and pioneering exhibition was held at the fabled Philippine Art gallery in Ermita under the title “The First Exhibition of Non-Objective Art in Tagala.” It was a gathering of 11 artists working in the abstractionist vein. The majority of ten were all male artists, and the lone minority was a woman-artist named Nena Saguil. In the following year, Saguil would travel to Europe and settle permanently in Paris, where she would remain passionately committed to her art of abstraction, until the end of her days.
Against this historical background, it is heartening to note that Nena Saguil has become a torch-bearer for later generations, and while, at the outset, acknowledging that the term “woman-artist” is no longer acceptably used, it is gratifying to see a solo exhibition by Jemina Reyes, an avowed abstractionist. And like the late lamented Pacita Abad, who signed her abstract paintings with her first name, so does Jemina.
Currently on view at the Ricco Renzo Gallery is Jemina’s “The Unfolding”, referencing the mystical process of a flower’s blossoming, bursting into the full glory of gentle and delicate petals unfurling for our aesthetic delectation. In her large canvases, Jemina nourishes our memories of flowers we have loved: roses, carnations, amaryllis, lily of the valley, daisies, carnations, morning glory, chrysanthemums, and daffodils, with all their sparkling evocation of colors ranging from incarnadine reds, warm oranges, and vibrant yellows, flecked by leaves of viridian greens, and catching hazy glints of skylight.
These are not, however, traditional flower paintings, where the intention is the depiction of specific botanical species, primarily for their ornamental appeal. Like Georgia O’Keefe, the American flower painter who eroticized her works through extreme close-ups of her subject, Jemina explores the lyrical qualities inherent in her flowers, while distilling their abstract essences, beyond the superficialities of realism.
More importantly, Jemina extracts equivalences of emotions, which in this exhibition, are attuned to human feelings, ranging from brooding contemplation to joyous exaltation. In “Deep Thought”, the background is a deep engulfing black field from where emerges a windblown flower indicative of a soul in turmoil. In contrast are the other more spiritually jubilant works, such as “Fresh Start,” “Quest for Beauty,” and “Sweet Surrender.” Even the use of monochromes in varying shades of muted greys in a work titled “Once” can present a transparency of petals in a new light. The title piece “The Unfolding” is an amalgam of Jemina’s aesthetic concerns: the painterly transcendence of an innately decorative subject brought to a higher and fresher level of appreciation and execution.
Artist’s reception will be held on October 12. “The Unfolding” runs until October 25.