Gallery Nine rings in the Lunar Year of the Water Tiger: last celebrated 60 years ago, the tiger symbolizes power, boldness, and a competitive spirit. Tiger years mark new beginnings and leaning into its power heralds a fruitful year of principled ambition.
Did you know that tigers are strong swimmers? Like the ocean's currents, 2022 will bring about waves of change; this intuitive element and instinct-driven tiger come together for a year full of possibility.
Gallery Nine continues its annual celebrations of the zodiac year- investing in the creative visions of artists for the coming year, the exhibit shall not just uplift artists. It will also provide art lovers some much-needed inspiration for the year ahead.
Artists for the exhibit include Ella Hipolito, Fhiexbird Orozco, Glenn Cagandahan, Harold Gomez, James Frani Dayrit, Jerry R. Morada, Jinggoy Salcedo, Lucky Salayog, Pepe Mendoza, and Richard Buxani.
Ella Hipolito is a painter and sculptor who has gained renown for her imaginative use of coffee as an artistic medium; she has also used eclectic materials such as recycled cans, bullet shells and stones to produce lively compositions.
Fhiexbird Orozco is a familiar face for the gallery's annual zodiac year festivities, having showcased his mythical "Dragon Bull'' sculpture for the previous year. Having started his metal art in 2010, his expertise is breathing new life into old pieces such as spoons, forks, and copper wires.
Glenn Cagandahan is a multi-awarded sculptor with an internationally auctioned piece at the Borobudur Auction House. While formally trained with traditional materials, he continues to seek innovation in his utilities and process with the goal to uplift Philippine sculpture’s cultural heritage.
Another familiar name from last year's zodiac exhibit, James Frani Dayrit dazzled patrons with "The Ox" metal sculpture. He is a machinist by trade who uses his technical aptitude of metalworking to create detailed works with intricate patterns.
Jinggoy Salcedo's steel-and-glass sculptures belie his self-teaching in the difficult media. It is with stainless steel and glass that he crafts natural, organic compositions—pushing past expectations of such materials.
Harold Gomez is a multi-awarded painter and sculptor who has uplifted the arts in Bicol, his home region, where he organized several exhibits and participated in artists' group initiatives. His body of work is diverse, featuring different subjects such as Philippine culture, nature, and brightly-imagined interior lives.
Lucky Salayog studied architecture, but is a self-taught sculptor who continually reveals the beauty in junk metals. The multi-awarded artist's creations include boats, flying machines, robots, and even caricature sculptures that give the most unexpected materials a new lease on life.
Jerry Morada is a GSIS Prize 2014 winner and participant in the international Art Expo Malaysia 2009. His breadth of work extends from painting to sculpture, with his media of choice for the latter being marble and wood—making fluid compositions with hard materials.
Richard Buxani is a metal sculptor through and through- he was a finalist in the GSIS Competition for Sculpture in 2018 and has had multiple exhibitions both locally and internationally. His polished brass surfaces render movement, with textures down to the most minute detail.
In exhibits and auctions, Pepe Mendoza's works have consistently shown what it means for art to be dynamic- primarily focusing on metal sculpture, he often creates human subjects in motion and emotion. His subjects' positions and facial expressions rouse simple metal material into action.
The opening night was held last March 6, on a Sunday night with artists present at Gallery Nine. It was a special occasion as the gallery’s first in-person exhibition of the year; pandemic restrictions such as social distancing and maximum capacity were followed, providing buyers a safe opportunity to admire the pieces themselves as opposed to the virtual walkthrough option that Gallery Nine has practiced over the past two years. The event was graced with the presence of current senatoriable Neri Colmenares, chairperson for Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan with a background in human rights law and activism. Colmenares, along with exhibited artists and Gallery Nine organizers, opened the event with a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by an intimate gathering of everyone present.
Like the water tiger, this year’s roster of artists is daring with their chosen media– adapting to unique challenges, rendering beauty from the most unexpected of materials. Gallery Nine has also earned its stripes through successful exhibitions throughout the pandemic, as well as consistent participation in ManilArt.
Despite changing currents of the times, we can all learn something from this year’s courageous, adaptable animal. The exhibit is currently held at Gallery Nine, at the fourth floor of Building A, SM Mega Mall, EDSA Corner, Doña Julia Vargas Ave, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong. The online walkthrough, catalog and additional information are all available at galleryninemanila.com– with the online walkthrough available until March 31, 2022.