Hopes in Four by Four
How intimate can art get? Angelica So answers with small yet soul-deep works, revealing life’s unspoken emotional woes.
Words Randolf Maala-Resueño
Photo courtesy of Angelica So
September 11, 2025
A red box—barely three feet tall—invites art purveyors to slouch against its slightly ajar doors. Inside, it holds a collective memory, imagining what it feels like to be within the artist’s own experience. To squirm within its walls reveals how even the smallest spaces contain relentless, confining, yet deeply personal dreams.
Rouge Gallery’s ‘The Teeny Tiny Art Show’ ushers in the subliminal talents of multidisciplinary artist Angelica So to its whimsical microgallery. In it, she rekindles the hope of ‘Ledgers,’ So’s latest solo exhibition available for viewing in the Katinko Building in Cubao until September 22, 2025.
Crammed, So’s profound storytelling–formed within 4-by-4-inch canvases–quells that the small and intimate carries a weight. ‘Ledgers’ is a collection of the emotions we carry within: the silence, the unspoken weight of experience, and the confrontations we face that are too fragile yet shaped us.
“I translated those intangible feelings by painting them as honestly as I could — just painting what I felt, and letting the strokes, colors, and gestures carry the emotion. My character, the iconography, and the color palette all become the language for feelings that are hard to put into words,” she detailed.
Intricate details
So also spoke of the exhibit’s minuscule scale, evoking a sweet spot for the viewers, small so it feels personal yet pulls you in to examine its fuller dimensions–easter eggs included.
Bigger Than My Body
She described ‘Ledgers’ as holding a secret; hoping her audience show care for each visual the same intimacy as our own private encounters, each diptych unique to So’s personal, heartfelt hope for her art. A beautiful depiction of love that doesn’t need to shout, but whispers.
“I hope Ledgers teaches people how to see through someone else’s eyes. I hope they come away with a softer lens: to see without judgment, to understand, to love, to hope, and to hold onto faith. More than anything, I hope people recognize the beauty of embracing their flaws and imperfections–to love themselves regardless, because those imperfections do not define them,” So answered as to what she hopes her viewers carry after viewing ‘Ledgers.’
Tiny dedications
‘Ledgers’ is also an ode to self-healing, So mentioned, particular to every silent battle we conquer through. Using art as a sword, honed by love and faith, guided So with such battles, even dedicating the canvas to her younger self.
Wear Your Stripes
“Every piece in this collection comes from a chapter of my own life. Take Wear Your Stripes, for example. On the surface, it’s not just about gender–it’s about the many ribbons, the many colors of advocacy I’ve carried,” she says.
“Each ribbon represents a silent battle I’ve faced. I may not be ready to reveal every detail just yet, but those colors are part of me. They’re the struggles I’ve endured quietly, and the strength I’ve gained because of them.”
And right-front-and-center of these tiny murals is “Bunny.” In a time clouded by sorrows from losing a child, Bunny became So’s wishful reminder that grief can be haunting yet tender.
Blank Page
“To be clear, I didn’t create Bunny to replace my angel baby. But Bunny became a new beginning for me. In many cultures, bunnies symbolize new beginnings, and that resonated so deeply. Since then, Bunny has stayed with me–not just as a recurring figure, but as a navigator and narrator in my works. Through Bunny, I hide easter eggs, tell stories, and carry messages of hope, judgment, and healing.”
Little art, broader vision
Amidst the waves of the Filipino contemporary art scene, So paddles as a visual diary, lamenting her art as a reminder of resilience, grace, and stirring internal conversations with viewers.
“I want viewers to see every color, object, symbol, and perspective in my work as pieces of a larger puzzle—keys to unlocking the hidden message within its secret language. What may first appear candy-coated or playful is, in truth, layered with meaning—an invitation to look closer, to uncover what rests quietly beneath the sweetness.”
Fit the Frame
Ultimately, So wishes ‘Ledgers’ to be “an intimate—not-so-secret-love—love letter” where those who wander can join her vision of pain and self-understanding through sharp, narrow doors—to pass through them is to be changed.
“Those who know pain will understand. Those who do not must look twice, and then again. I know this may sound vague, but I want to keep it this way—at least until the works themselves are ready to speak.”
Catch a glimpse of hopeful intimacy at the Katinko Building, 3F, EDSA cor. New York St., Cubao, Quezon City, until September 22, 2025.
