Phoenix Rising

March started on a very positive note. I was fortunate enough to be included in an art feature on this month’s issue of Metro Magazine in celebration of Women’s Day. The article was penned by Geolette Esguerra, and it listed me as one of the notable female artists in the Philippines along with Annie Cabigting, Tosha Albor, Mimi Tecson, Nikki Luna, and Marika Constantino. I have to admit that I spazzed out upon reading the subheading, plus it’s really a huge honor to be featured alongside these amazing women.

I was supposed to post this entry last March 8 and was deciding what painting to feature that would somehow be apt for International Women’s Day – something empowering; a tough choice given that my painting subjects are all women. The day before, March 7, was Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s 84th birthday and I came across this quote from Love in the Time of Cholera:

He allowed himself to be swayed by his conviction that human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, but that life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves.

I was instantly reminded of the last painting I did for 2012 of a woman engulfed in a variety of flame-like tropical flora. The quote somehow encapsulated the idea behind it – the necessity to emerge anew borne out of major turning points in life.

This Cleansing Flame
61cm x 91.4cm
Oil on canvas
2012

I had conceptualized This Cleansing Flame and made rough sketches of it during my short sabbatical around Cambodia and Laos, and I set out to start on the pencil work as soon as I got back from my trip. The painting was inspired by Shawn Colvin’s Sunny Came Home, particularly the lines:

Days go by I’m hypnotized
I’m walking on a wire
I close my eyes and fly out of my mind
Into the fire
Oh light the sky and hold on tight
The world is burning down

The imagery of the painting was intended to be reminiscent of a phoenix burning ferociously to rise from the ashes. Ultimately, the piece is about rebirth, the need to undergo certain “deaths” in order to create a better and wiser version of oneself, and discarding old beliefs that no longer hold true and do nothing but tie one to the past. A4-sized giclee art prints of this painting are available in my shop at AVA.ph.
I’m ending this post with selected questions and answers from the ones sent to me for the Metro Magazine article. These should give you a good overview of my craft and an idea of what I have in store, especially if you’ve just recently been introduced to my work.

Can you tell me more about what you’re currently working on?
I am currently working on illustrations for a coffee table book project, and on two new series of paintings: one is for a solo show on April, and another is for a two-man show on September. The pieces for the April show are mainly inspired by my trip to Vietnam last December. I fell in love with the ancient town of Hoi An, so you can expect to see a lot of lanterns and flower-bearing Vietnamese girls in ornate ao dais in my upcoming pieces apart from my usual geishas and gypsies.

Your works dwell on fantasy and myth, what are you trying to communicate with your art?
My works are emotive. I depict different stories and experiences of women – mostly personal, of emotions I can not express nor articulate while drawing inspiration for my imagery from myths and faery tales. Myths are, after all, based on collective human experience, and it is from this pool of stories that I find parallels of my own experiences that I seek to capture on canvases.

What kind of creative patterns, routines or rituals do you have?
I have a wicked painting drive. Once I start zoning in to finish a painting or a whole series, I switch into hermit mode and often times forget about meals, so I stock up on coffee and crackers in my studio. I still go out for coffee in the morning or evening when I feel like it, but mostly, I find it a chore to leave the house whenever I am in the mood to paint.

While I can be usually found painting well into the night being the nocturnal person that I am, I still wake up around 7 or 8AM daily. Bath, breakfast, coffee, check emails, then studio work – it’s always in that order. Colors are most vibrant in the morning, so it’s important for me that I finish huge portions of my paintings during the day as much as possible, leaving pencil work and conceptualization in the night.

Music plays a big part in my creative process. I usually listen to just one playlist until I finish a specific piece just to stick to the mood. Sometimes, I prefer silence especially when my thoughts get too noisy. Painting breaks are spent browsing for more inspiration. But at all times, coffee is my lifeblood.

Is there a connection between your art and your concept of femininity?
There is none. Personally, I do not subscribe to a concept of femininity nor of masculinity. I believe in the fluidity of gender and that it should not and can not be dichotomized into but two boxes. My works, rather, focuses on the female form as a subject of sublime beauty. Given that my works echo the female experience, it is but proper that my painting subjects and muses are all women.

We Had Our Parts To Play

We Had Our Parts To Play
61 cm x 91.4 cm
Oil on canvas
2012

I have developed a liking for women’s traditional headdresses from different Asian cultures, most especially the flower crowns worn by Balinese dancers and the more elaborate ones worn by Dan (a general name for female roles) in the Chinese opera. Of course, my interest for these things naturally trickles down to my works both on canvas and on paper.

We Had Our Parts To Play was one of the paintings I mounted for my second solo exhibition at JIV Manila Art Gallery. I had conceptualized the painting during the first quarter of 2012, but only managed to execute it in time for “Resurgence.” Partly inspired by Puccini’s Turandot, the painting features a Chinese opera actress modeled after my friend Julie. I had to include her hare tattoo that was based on a centuries-old book illustration.
Headdresses are integral accessories in Chinese opera costumes to help the audience identify specific roles. The more elaborate and striking the headdress, the more significant the character. The girl in the painting dons the headdress of an empress complete with pearls, faux jewels, butterfly embellishments, and silk tassels. Her heavily embroidered silk brocade is falling off her shoulders; she is in the process of undressing, suggesting that the play is over.
Behind the very oriental inspiration and imagery, the general idea behind the painting is actually a line from Shakespeare’s As You Like It, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women are merely players.” There is no such thing as an innocent bystander and a full-blown victim. What we have and all that we are in our present realities are results of our own decisions and actions. Our current situations are connected to all the things we ever did, no matter how small. We all have our parts to play.

This and my other paintings from “Resurgence” have recently been added to my shop in AVA.ph. I was originally saving this news as a Valentine’s Day offering, but the new giclee prints have just been launched last week. Better late than never, so I thought I might as well post about this on the last day of February.
Additionally, the old prints that have already been sold out haven’t been removed. Due to inquiries and requests, I’ve decided to make 3 copies per print available. That should be a nice treat. So far, I am very pleased with how my prints are faring on AVA.ph. I just might add more new works in the coming months. Anyway, do check them out at http://ava.ph/shops/78-katrina-pallon.html.

Pen and Inks to Kick-Start 2013

The first exhibit I joined this year was a group show called A Third Helping of Instant Doodles. It was a huge exhibition held at My Little Art Place in San Juan, Manila participated in by as many as 50 artists spearheaded by Piaget Martelino. Considering I’ve been preparing for another solo painting exhibit on April, working on my pieces for this show was a big break from using brushes and tubes of oil paint since last year as I opted to go with pen and ink, my secondary weapon of choice.

Blossoming
10.5 inches x 10.5 inches
Pen & ink on paper
2013

Meet Me In Hoi An
10.5 inches x 10.5 inches
Pen & ink on paper
2013

Consider them teasers of some sort for the April exhibit – ao dais, lanterns, overlapping patterns. My imagery is constantly changing; I’d hate to see stagnancy in my works. And yes, I’m still pretty much brimming with inspiration from my trips to Laos and Vietnam late last year. With that said, hints of Lao aesthetic are also to be expected. I think I’ve collected enough photographs of textile patterns and decorative art in temples from my short stay in Luang Prabang to serve as references.

I remember a short conversation on Facebook with my oracle extraordinaire friend Abbee. She had shared “Blossoming” on her Wall having found it freakishly resonating. Asked what is her interpretation of it, her answer was, “Getting in touch with your Divine/Sacred Feminine.” While that wasn’t the concept I had in mind when I drew it, it occurred to me that it rung true for me to a large extent. Note the use of past participle.

That’s what I love about not spoonfeeding my audience with information regarding my works. I have always found it interesting to hear people’s take on my paintings, especially the ones that they could actually relate to. That room for interpretation that could even lead to self-discoveries is priceless.

The illustration features a girl disrobing to reveal a single flower blooming from her chest that has been cut open. She is in a trance; you could say in a state of feverish ecstasy. To say the least, “Blossoming” is about new beginnings, of overwhelming positive changes, of spontaneous and necessary transformations. Something is growing.

Meanwhile, “Meet Me in Hoi An” is my mini tribute piece to a place I fell in love with last December. It is a quaint heritage town in the Quang Nam province of Vietnam filled with lanterns, and architecture that is a mix of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese. I could go about describing what I love about it in this entry, but I’m saving that for a travel post solely dedicated to that town.

Surrounded by cranes representing auspiciousness, a girl wearing a nón lá (conical hat) stands waiting quite impatiently. Lanterns hang on branches of magnolias and apple blossoms at the background. Is it related to “Blossoming?” The answer is yes.

Jaipur and Patterns

Jaipur was next on our itinerary after a day trip to Agra. A 2-hour train ride took us to the Pink City on a cool April night in 2011. We stayed at Baba Haveli, which was just a quick tuktuk ride away from the train station. The owner, Mr. Vijay Gautam, was an excellent host – a relief after an exhausting and quite a bad day in Agra. Albeit not so spacious, the rooms and hallways are quaint and charming, lavishly decorated with elaborate frescoes and tasteful furniture that exude old world charm. Our room has a tiny balcony facing the street. Despite that, we didn’t have a problem with noise and were able to sleep soundly.

Early the next morning, we started our tour. Tuktuks (autorickshaws) and local buses are the best modes of transportation to get around the city. But for time-challenged people such as I and my friend during the time we visited, private cars are available for rent. I highly recommend Real Rajasthan Tours. Aside from English-speaking drivers, they offer various tour packages and even customized ones for your convenience and travel satisfaction.

Dubbed as the “Pink City,” Jaipur takes pride in its distinct pink-painted buildings, which were intended to resemble the red sandstone Mughal architecture. The capital of Rajasthan is a bustling city filled with magnificent forts and palaces, and bazaars teeming with varied textiles, shoes, and Rajasthani jewellery – the latter being its famous commodity. It boasts of being India’s first planned city, known for the width and regularity of its streets. The city is at its most picturesque during late afternoons when its rose-colored architecture glows vibrantly under the rays of the setting sun.

Glorious decorative patterns can be found on almost every wall and structure, whether painted, carved or etched. I tried to capture these in photos as best as I could for future painting references. Composite tickets are available at a reasonable price of 300 INR for tourists that would grant you access to five monuments – Amber Palace, Nahargarh Fort, Jantar Mantar, Albert Hall, and Hawa Mahal. Additional charges apply for some sites if you’d like to take pictures.

Resurgence

Santa Muerte: Baring My Soul
121.9 cm x 121.9 cm
Oil on canvas
2012

I had my second solo painting exhibition last December 1-16, 2012 at JIV Manila Art Gallery. The concept was not what I originally planned after my first one back in 2008, but I’d say it was a timely one after almost 4 years of dabbling and participating in group shows. While my former series of paintings were a mix of my own stories, of friends’, and those taken from fairytales and folklore, the pieces I mounted for this show were very personal – inspirations and thoughts distilled, filtered, and controlled just the way I like it. Ultimately, the process of creating the exhibit pieces was a catharsis of some sort. And yes, the show was aptly entitled “Resurgence.”

Human experiences often overwhelm us like the night obscuring the light of the soul. In the exhibit of Katrina Pallon, women posed in equanimity are set against stark colors of flora. Ephemeral emotions shine through the backdrop of flowers that frame women’s bodies and gazes that display mostly nonchalance, perhaps referencing how the artist had dealt with life during her trying times.

Katrina Pallon’s dream-like images draw from the melancholy of the past and a contemporary Pan-Asian style to rise above these emotions that have long beset her. Albert Goldbarth once articulated that “The night may be long but it passes, marking the transitory nature of pain.”

The artworks reference the grief that one normally feels after a breakdown – contained in its two-dimensional form, yet transcending the affective reach with its sensation of vivid colors and fluid lines – like the crimson stirring in one’s sorrow. These are some of the emotions that overwhelmed the artist when her grandfather passed away. One’s sense of loss upon the death of a loved one, melancholia, and acceptance through time are thus embodied in her artworks. Affect that is otherwise grim and dreary, is instead converted to beauty that arrests the viewer’s sensorium of images. The paintings radiate a psychedelic feel that immerses us in a labyrinth of sensations that leads us into the artist’s embodied thoughts and feelings, where some are sporadic and spontaneous as her world is. One can therefore learn to embrace the impermanence that surrounds us as we transcend our interstitial states of being. Within the endless dialectic of thought and emotion, the exhibit offers a glimpse of the artist’s soul, her path to recovery and rediscovery, as she tries to build her life again. Indeed, the resurgence of one’s self.

(Words by curator Kevin Tabora)

Santa Muerte was intended to be part of a different exhibit. I started working on it back in June of 2012 but had to discontinue due to unfortunate circumstances that were beyond my control. Four months later, I found myself rehashing the concept, erasing old pencil work, and continuing the painting for my solo show. Having been able to finish a piece I’ve abandoned for some time proved to be fulfilling, especially one that I didn’t think I’d manage or bring myself to complete.
The original idea was to paint her as how she is normally portrayed – a skeletal female figure clad in robes, sort of a dark Virgin of Guadalupe with a globe in one hand and a scythe in the other. I felt that this cold depiction of hers does not sit well with my exhibit theme, so I decided to humanize her, giving her flesh and a skull for a mask with the eyes and nose remaining hollow. A stem of orchids flourishes from her heart, while huge cattleyas, dahlias, and more orchids bloom in the background.

Behind the cut are a few photos from the exhibit opening.

Daughters of the Sea

Daughters of the Sea
91.4 cm x 121.9 cm
Oil on canvas
2012

Fresh from a trip from Indonesia back in March of 2012, I was inspired to make a painting based on the myth of Nyai Roro Kidul, who was one of the favorite painting subjects in galleries we visited around Yogyakarta and Bali. Known as the “Queen of the Southern Sea of Java” or “Queen of the South Sea,” she is a legendary spirit depicted as a mermaid with a lower part of the body of a snake. She dwells in the heart of the sea and is said to control the violent waves of the Indian Ocean, taking the souls of anything or anyone she wished for.

I had conceptualized a series of paintings based on my friends’ tattoos during the early part of 2012, but never got to put them all together in one show. For this particular Indonesian myth-inspired painting, I decided that my friends Gab and Noelle would be the perfect muses – Gab has an octopus tattoo on the upper right side of her back, while Noelle has a jellyfish tattoo on her right chest.
No Indonesian-inspired painting is complete without batik patterns. It was actually fun copying ornate patterns on scarves and purses I purchased during my trip.
Instead of giving them lower bodies of snakes, I decided to place octopus tentacles since the warm colour of which suits the vibrant batik patterns. Balinese floral headdresses complete their look.

Cranes and Art Prints

The Crane Wife
61cm x 91.4cm
Acrylic on canvas

Faery tales and myths from different cultures have always been my main sources of inspiration for my works, may it be for paintings and illustrations or conceptual photos. This particular piece was exhibited at an all-women artists show called “Dream, Paper, Dream” on March 2011 at Vinyl on Vinyl, the opening of which coincided with last year’s International Women’s Day. The only requirement was that we incorporate an origami crane in our work, thus, I decided to come up with a painting based on an old Japanese folk tale of The Crane Wife with five paper cranes suspended from the top of the canvas.

The tale tells of a poor young man who wished for a wife to spend the rest of his days happily with. In another version of this story, the man is a lonely sail maker who lived on a hilltop high above the sea, and he would spend his days watching cranes resting and flying on the salt marsh below his house. In any case, he found an injured crane in the woods one autumn evening. Being a kind soul, he tended to its wounds until it was well enough to fly with the other cranes.

A few days after he set it free, a beautiful woman came knocking on his door, and they fell in love and were married over time. But because the young man was poor, he began to run out of money to feed them both. His wife offered that she would weave a fine piece of cloth that they could sell for a handsome price. She also requested that a workroom be built on the condition that her husband should promise never to watch her weave. True enough, she produced wondrous pieces of cloth of unmatched quality that they were able to sell for prices that allowed them to live comfortably. No longer able to contain his curiosity one day, the young man broke his promise and peeked in. Instead of his wife, he saw a crane plucking its own feathers and weaving them into the loom. Having been revealed, the crane wife flew away and never returned, leaving behind a half finished cloth as a reminder of the time they had together.

I painted the crane wife dressed in an intricately embroidered red kimono holding a cloth she has woven. While the actual painting has already been sold, I am selling my first edition archival giclee print of it on AVA.ph along with prints of 11 more of my works.
Recently, I have been receiving inquiries about my art prints, so this post should be able to answer those questions. I am currently under an exclusive contract with AVA.ph until early November, so purchases will have to made through them. Do check out my available works by visiting my AVA.ph shop, and buy yourself a print if you fancy my work.