ART FAIR PHILIPPINES 2024

Philippine National Artist****BenCab presents a new bronze sculpture of his signature, decades-long muse: Sabel. Encountering a scavenger in the 1960s, the artist went on to sketch and paint her for decades—her form constantly evolving, often becoming abstract. BenCab’s collaboration with YAL has only opened up more possibilities for the intricacies of her lines and shape. Rendered in bronze, a medium often associated with permanence, Sabel, here, is no longer invisible and fleeting—but a symbol of endurance.

Paying homage to the Bulul sculptures traditionally made in the Cordillera highlands in the Philippines, Leslie de Chavez has created a pair of bronze sculptures together with YAL’s artisans. Based on a pair from the artist’s own collection, The Oracles (Deities for the Mystical and the Opulent) reinterprets these traditionally wooden sculptures in bronze and gold, seeking to reverently capture and memorialise the spiritual essence in the original carvings.

Other prominent artists also push the boundaries of sculpture in Southeast Asia through their collaborations with YAL. The late Ashley Bickerton (1959 - 2022)‘s sculpture Double Helix Hammerhead reveals his complex explorations of environmental themes, a focus he had evolved since he relocated to Bali in the 1990s. Captivating audiences in last year’s Projects sector, Yunizar’s iconic bronze sculptures of surreal, primordial creatures provoke both fear and awe—blurring the line between the earthly and ethereal.

Other artists explore the relevance of contemporary painting in the region. Indonesia-based painters Erizal As and Ibrahim employ abstract expressionism, yet draw inspiration from their surroundings: the natural landscapes of West Sumatra. Rosit Mulyadi distorts and obscures Old Master works in art history with paint and text, imbuing these works with vernacular language and juxtaposing issues from his local context with their imagery.

Young artists such as Kayleigh Goh and Ridho Rizki create paintings that encourage stillness and contemplation. Using predominantly cement and wood, Goh utilises highly sophisticated techniques in painting to explore the city. Rizki combines pointillism, impressionism, and still life; presenting objects in a way such that ordinary things become enigmas—leading audiences into a deeper way of seeing.