LOVE and time’s transience were at the forefront of the simultaneous solo exhibitions launched by acclaimed father-and-son duo Fil and Janos Delacruz on July 23.
Both graduates of UST’s advertising arts program, Fil dwelled on time and mortality in “Saglit,” while his son, Janos, explored the themes of fate and romantic connections in his own display, “Tadhana.”
“[These are] two exhibitions on equal billing, which happen to be a father and son in the same venue,” Janos told the Varsitarian during the artists’ reception on July 25 at Art Lounge Manila in Mandaluyong.
While the tandem has shared a gallery several times before, Fil said it was “exciting” to collaborate with his son again, and “challenging” as both attempted to keep at par with each other artistically.
“My son is beginning to find his own place and profession [in] art,” Fil said. “Before, he’s trying to level up with me, and now I’m trying to level up with him.”
Their collaborative piece, a namesake of their individual exhibit titles, was a 36×36-in. diamond-framed acrylic on canvas, which epitomized the visual and thematic distinctions between the father and son.
For his own display, Fil incorporated elements of time, such as hourglasses and clocks, into his iconic portrayals of the diwata, a mythological goddess, about which he has built an exquisite corpus of works.
The elder Delacruz said his exhibit, “Saglit,” meaning moment in Filipino, reminded him of his very mortality as a person and an artist.
“When I was a young artist, I didn’t care about time…[because] I had all the time,” he said. “This exhibition is a tribute to time–to appreciate my existence as a mortal, my existence as an artist, and my role of being an artist in the community.”
Meanwhile, Janos explored ephemeral romantic love in his works, “Jowa No. 2” and “Syota No. 2,” which depicted the idea of failed relationships caused by “paths not taken.”
These works were mirrors of one another and portrayed the same subject but under different circumstances.
“I wanted to create a series of paintings [and] intertwining stories of random images. All the artworks here are about the different choices, the different types of love, the different types of relationships,” he said, referring to the vision he had for “Tadhana.”
“As people, we are very simple. We are creatures of habit. We are creatures of comfort. We try to find relationships because that’s our safe place,” he added.
Janos said working with his father for their simultaneous exhibitions encouraged him to do his best.
“We shared the same studio, so I was able to see his works, and he was able to see mine,” he said. “It was a fun activity…it allowed me to challenge myself, I tried to be the best I can possibly be.”
Fil and Janos are acclaimed Filipino painter-printmakers who have been recognized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines through its Thirteen Artists Awards and by UST with the Benavides Award.
They are known for their surrealist works, with Fil mostly focusing on oil-on-canvas paintings and Janos on canvas, paper, and reinforced resin materials.
Their exhibitions “Saglit” and “Tadhana” will run until Aug. 5. John Kobe S. Balod and Sophia Andrea T. Reyes
