Transcendence brings together the works of three artists who explore the ordinary reality of life, employing various artistic techniques and practices, and citing historical and autobiographical references. The artists position themselves beyond the realm of the philosophical, transcending inanimate surfaces and bringing life through the exploration of materials.
All three artists explore the extent to which color, surface, and texture can be rendered palpable, resisting the unity that is made to appear seamless. While de León ’s canvases foreground how the visual effect of paint produces surface and texture, Carating’s paintings and Duray’s sculptures project a more explicit materiality. Transcendence provides a moment of rest amidst the frantic pace of modern life, inviting viewers to look inwards. The works of Carating, de León, and Duray allow us to get a restful moment of undisturbed introspection and reflection.
Norberto “Lito” Carating presents daring explorations of shape and color combined with bold gestural strokes and applications that result in symphonic visual wholes. He dreams in technicolor and grid-like structures that he brings to life in a myriad of textures and bold paint strokes, conveying various states of emotion on his expansive canvases. Carating has won a number of significant art awards such as the CCP Thirteen Artists Award in 1990. He has also participated in several successful exhibitions both locally and internationally— including the prestigious Venice Biennale in 2015.
Pardo de León approaches painting both intuitively and methodically, creating space for ambiguity and mixed readings rather than carving definite meanings and exact statements. An artist with over three decades of experience painting and exhibiting works in numerous galleries both locally and internationally. de León works move adeptly between figuration and abstraction, confronting conventions in painting through the juxtaposition of images, the layering of forms and motifs, and by zooming in on particular details of her subjects. A sensitivity to color and the juxtaposition of everyday imagery recurs throughout de León’s practice.
John Paul “JP” Duray’s cast of well-rounded enigmatic figures displays the artist’s uncanny wit, humor, and attraction towards ambiguating familiar figures. Duray finds his niche inside the lush meadows of an unforgettable dream—propelling him to a reality that just a few years before may have seemed unimaginable, but that he continues to consistently embrace with unabashed honesty, child-like curiosity, and admirable humility. His work is an amalgamation of personal experiences and deeply rooted Filipino customs, interweaving the two to create narratives for his sculptures.
‘Transcendence: Works by Norberto Carating, Pardo De Leon, and JP Duray’, Salcedo Private View’s live and online exhibition at Art Fair Philippines 2022 is co-presented by Exclusive Banking Partner HSBC Premier. For inquiries, email [email protected] or phone +632 8 8230956 | +63 9171075581. Follow @salcedoauctions on Instagram and Facebook for more updates. Click here to view the exhibition catalogue.
