Glory Days: The Best of Philippine Art
Richard Arimado, James Gabito, and Almer Moneda
The works for “Glory Days: The Best of Philippine Art” comprise each artist’s appreciation and veneration of the Filipino tradition and values. The adoption of concepts collectively formulated by visual artists Richard Arimado, James Gabito, and Almer Moneda, relinquishes the importance of Philippine culture and identity as foundation and structure in the pursuit of conservation and progression of Filipino heritage.
The works feature elements which transmit shared values, stories, and goals from a formative era; where enduring customs and their related moral principles encourage the audience to create and share a collective awareness, which in turn serves to relate and reconvene the wisdom of the traditional with the modern age.
Richard Arimado, born and raised in Manila, has always had strong artistic inclinations. He studied Drafting Tech at the Technological Institute of the Philippines, and Advertising at the Panday Sining Art Study Center. This early, Arimado has already developed a masterly style and his own artistic signature by painting birds-eye views of pedestrians and their commutes.
James Gabito, a Baguio-based artist, 2015 GSIS honorable mention and 2015 MADE finalist, paints archetypes of the mountain province culture attesting to the region's unspoiled vibrant way of living. Gabito assembles these images with a sense of artisanal intricacy and rawness to his subjects. Gabito's interpretation stems from his perspective of change in practice, such as that from weaving or planting rice.
Almer Moneda is a Filipino contemporary artist based in Southern Luzon, Philippines. He is no stranger to visual arts. His degree in drafting from Laguna State Polytechnic University has given him a superb eye for anatomy and an ability to accurately depict mechanical devices. Moneda merges these two techniques into a surreal and hyperrealist oeuvre that brings some perspective to the photography community. Ideas such as the occasional voyeuristic tendencies of photographers, the “decisive moment” of photography ideologue Henri Cartier-Bresson, and the rules of composition are explored in a brilliant practice that recalls some of the most noted surrealist careers in art history.
“Glory Days: The Best of Philippine Art”, featuring works by Richard Arimado, James Gabito, and Almer Moneda will be on view at Booth B7 of ManilArt 2022, located at the 3rd Level of SMX Convention Center, SM Aura, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig from October 19 to 23, 2022.
371 Art Space is located at Ground Floor, 371 P. Guevarra St. corner Montessori Lane, Brgy. Addition Hills, San Juan. For inquiries, contact 371 Art Space at +63 917 582 2115, or email
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