Keeping Lowbrow Art Alive
Nine up-and-coming artists from VeryGood Gallery share their diverse backgrounds and unique styles they plan to debut in the upcoming Modern and Contemporary Art Festival 2024
Words Chariza Crudo
June 24, 2024
Artwork by CHNO of VeryGood Gallery
If lowbrow art is all about breaking the “rules” (if there truly are boundaries in art), then these artists from VeryGood Gallery are rebels.
What seems to be a normal warehouse across VeryGood Gallery is an art hole where visual artists Ram de Verdera, CHNO, Cel Ramos, Lan Amante, Gelo Montiero, RMO, Luke Alarcon, Bea Fernandez, and Selah Viee spend most of their time creating their masterpieces. They are the next generation of pop surrealists proudly bearing their quirky art styles, playful images, and out-of-the-box themes.
But like others, their journey to finding their identity as an artist did not happen overnight.
How it all began
At some point in our lives, we all looked up to someone and thought we wanted to follow their steps. For Ram de Verdera, watching Blic (a visual artist and one of the owners of VeryGood Gallery) paint passionately sparked something in him and later inspired him to become a visual artist like he is today. On the other hand, Luke Alarcon, born in an artist family, was deeply influenced by his brothers, who pushed him to enter art competitions when he was 12. Ten years later, Luke is still pursuing his career as an artist.
However, at times, destiny does its work for us– most artists know they just had to become one. Gelo Montiero knew he was born to be an artist but was side-tracked when he pursued film production. “Na-realize ko na sayang buhay ‘pag hindi ko ginawa ‘yung gusto ko talaga,” he explains. Gelo quit doing film and became a full-time visual artist.
Meanwhile, CHNO has been an artist for quite some time but had to stop for three years when he went through a massive slump. However, it was also art that dug him from the grave. “Art pa rin sumalba sakin nung time na down ako. Na-realize ko na art talaga ‘yung para sakin, so dun ulit nagtuloy-tuloy hanggang sa ngayon,” he says. When he invited Cel Ramos to an art show, Ramos claims it was when he discovered he wanted to pursue art, and the rest was history.
Like CHNO’s, Lan Amante experienced failure during his debut, discouraging him from painting. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, art found its way back to him.
But when neither inspiration nor fate nudges us toward our dreams, raw talent reveals itself along with the support of people who recognize that gift. RMO, like most high school students, loved drawing as a hobby. When he noticed that his classmates frequently pester him to draw for them, he explored the craft and became a visual artist. On the same note, Bea Fernandez’ artistic talent was recognized early in high school as she was often selected to compete in art-related contests. In college, she decided to major in art.
In Selah Viee’s case, she never had an interest in visual art until 2020. She was a literature major and loved writing poems, yet there was a point when her words failed to describe her complex emotions. “Naghahanap tayo ng way eh kung saan natin mababato ‘yung deprivation na binigay sa’tin ng pandemic, lalo sa mental health. So sa’kin, nag-drawing ako base sa tula ko then nabuo si Selah Viee,” she says.
The meaning of art
Art, at its most raw, is personal and ceases to be when beholden by a different set of eyes. The nine artists from VeryGood Gallery are transparent with their intentions, yet they recognize that the way people perceive their art is out of their control. This part explores the personal aspect– the beginning where only one perspective is essential: the artist’s. For Ramos, he clearly intends his art to function as a prompt that would give him and his audience peace of mind.
An artwork reflects most (if not all) of its creator’s identity. There is a reason behind the uncanny resemblance between RMO himself and his character. According to him, the long-haired subject in his paintings is a visual representation of his self-aware inner child.
The toy building blocks in CHNO’s art make his style easy to distinguish, but they are more than just paintings of random objects. Each piece is connected to CHNO and rooted in his daily life. “Pero hindi lang siya basta image, ‘pag ginagawa ko siya may connection sa sarili ko mismo. Hindi lang sa’kin, pati sa inyo relatable siya sa lahat and sa paligid natin,” he explains.
Conversely, Montiero is known for painting intricate drapes of cloth that delicately cover his subjects. Aesthetics aside, these characters depict a specific part of his personality. The subject wrapped in white cloth represents his introverted nature, the man with a crown his self-awareness, and the woman his innocence. “Lahat ‘yun part ng ako na hinati ko sa tatlo. Lahat sila parang nagkukwento ng iba't iba na ako,” he adds.
Perhaps one of the most common and complex concepts in the art scene is the image of a woman’s body in paintings, whether literal or abstract. But for Fernandez, incorporating her femininity in her art is her way of baring herself. Her character wears nothing but an undergarment, which is normal for her. “Nilagay ko ‘yung personality nila sa outfits nila kasi for me never naging invitation ‘yung magshow ng skin. Ang mali lang dun is ‘yung pag-iisip natin.”
Learning art at a young age could be both an advantage and a disadvantage, but this is a good dilemma for Alarcon. He expresses his frustration about wanting to paint with his heart and not his mind. With him knowing the basics, he eventually taught himself to go beyond the boundaries of classical art, which explains his current style.
In pop surrealism, animals are also recurring subjects. While watching a wilderness documentary, Amante was inspired by the relationship between prey and predator and how the former struggles in its natural habitat. For De Verdera, he is a shepherd who guides the sheep in his art through his words that serve as proverbs. As the creator, he helps the sheep stand on their own feet.
Consequently, writer-artist Selah Viee’s experience as a literature major immensely helped her develop narratives for her art. The bright pinks and wide-eyed characters in her paintings are all part of a story she carefully picks.
As we anticipate their special exhibition under VeryGood Gallery during this year’s MoCAF, the artists tease that each of them will introduce never-before-seen art styles. Art enthusiasts can anticipate that the essence and quality of lowbrow art will shine through in this exhibition.
