Cover (Photo: Rosenthal Tee)
(Photo: Rosenthal Tee)
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In her upcoming art exhibit this February 2022, Rosenthal Tee creates a visual narrative that relates to both nature and space
"Before I found myself on this creative journey in fashion, art was my very first entry into anything creative," says Rosenthal Tee.
As a fashion designer, Tee holds an intimate understanding of the human body—how to accentuate its graceful curves and how to maximise its shape and form. All this she learned as a young woman, attending workshops and classes that centred heavily on art. "I dabbled in pastel, watercolour, oil and acrylic formats in the subject matter of still life’s and nudes," she reminisces. "Funnily enough I think the exposure to drawing figures in the nude informed my interest in the body and the creation of clothing."
Through this overlap of creativity, Tee has found a sweet spot in fashion design. Yet, her affinity towards art never waned—and it was particularly magnified during the pandemic lockdown.
Read more: 11 of the Most Famous Filipino Artists and their Artworks: Amorsolo, Bencab, And More
Above (Photo: Rosenthal Tee)
Above (Photo: Rosenthal Tee)
(Photo: Rosenthal Tee)
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As with many of us, Tee found herself in need of a hobby. So once again, toward the end of summer 2020, she picked up her brush and began to paint. "We had all just spent what felt like an eternity in suspended reality due to the extreme lockdown rules and the overwhelming sense of [constriction] really took a toll on my mental health," she admits. "As a creative in fashion, I was unable to express myself, because obviously, no one was going out, and so I had to find a way to purge all my ideas in another format. Painting was the natural choice."
Tee has openly shared snippets of her art on social media and she's also sold a handful of artworks to desiring buyers. It seems like mere logic then that the fashion designer's latest project is an art exhibit set to be held at the RONAC Art Centre from February 6 to 18. Between the hours of 11am to 6pm, guests are invited to view her work, "In The Spaces Between", at the Secret Fresh Gallery.
Here, her visual narratives explore "the phenomenology of nature and the spaces we occupy". Bright and vibrant, Tee's work becomes ironic when one realises her state of mind during its creation and curation. "I was emotionally at the peak of my despair [during the creation of these pieces]," she shares. "This was a product of feeling so limited by the constrictions suddenly forced on us by the pandemic."
Above (Photo: Rosenthal Tee)
(Photo: Rosenthal Tee)
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Yet her pieces also represent a sense of gratitude. "Painting really paved the way for me to find my centre and appreciate the privilege of having space to express my art and be surrounded by nature’s beauty," she adds. Bold and colourful, her triptychs are an exploration of a mindset, and of a time and space when the unprecedented became the norm.
Whether on canvas or on a piece of clothing, Tee remains honest in her work. "I believe that there are themes that run consistently in our expression, and I think that mine has fairly been consistent for my penchant to work with foliage motifs," she explains. "A lot of my evening and bridal pieces carry that theme and so when I began painting I only really just reinterpreted that on to the canvas."
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