THOMASIAN broadcast personality Lourd de Veyra took aim at the narratives peddled during the Duterte years in “Drawing in Tandem,” a two-man exhibit with his bandmate Kaloy Olavides, which opened on Feb. 8 at Blanc Gallery in Quezon City.
A critique of tyranny and violence under Rodrigo Duterte, the exhibit features works referencing the brutality of his administration’s infamous drug war.
All works were drawn in black, red, and white, a reflection of the bloodshed and violence.
“It’s always been the color of tyranny. It’s always been the color of violence and history repeating itself with cycles of blood,” De Veyra, a former Varsitarian writer, said about works’ color scheme.
“This is like an op-ed thesis, editorial cartoons without captions,” he explained in a mix of English and Filipino. “But it comes from a punk rock point of view, and it consists of line drawings.”
De Veyra said the exhibit stemmed from an incubator program granted during Art Fair Philippines 2023 to experimental artist groups or galleries.
Its focus on troll language is evident in “Asong Ulol,” a 14×10.25-in. ink-on-paper work depicting a brawny man with an enraged, seemingly rabid dog’s head for a face.
Written in the piece are the words, “Puro kayo reklamo, sumunod na lang kayo,” a common retort from online trolls dismissing progressive groups rallying against the government.
De Veyra and Olavides further echo this rhetoric in “Nanlaban,” a 14×10.25-in. work depicting protesters holding phalli. The piece satirizes the Duterte administration’s justification for extrajudicial killings: “nanlaban” (someone who fought back).
Tying the exhibit’s concept and title altogether is the titular “Drawing in Tandem,” a 41×30-in. piece portraying De Veyra and Olavides riding a motorcycle in tandem — a common method used by assailants in drug-related killings under Duterte.
In the acrylic illustration, the two are shown riding through a sea of dead bodies, literally painting the canvas red with blood.
Apart from the framed works, the duo also displayed the graffiti piece “Primary Ingredients,” a chaotic collage-like painting referencing Filipino vandal art and signage.
“Huwag magulat sa mga nangyayari, kasi ‘yon ‘yong realidad,” said Olavides on the overall message of the exhibit. “Inosente lang ang nagtataka,” he added, quoting the band “The Wuds.”
The “Drawing in Tandem” exhibition will be open until Feb. 27.
