Explosive colours, flattened imagery, and historical markers. This is Wawi Navarroza
Istanbul-based Filipino artist Wawi Navarroza showcases her artistry at Art Fair Philippines with her As Wild As We Come exhibition. Through her self-portraits, Navarroza explores identity and self with a firm focus on motherhood. But much more lies beneath the surface. How does the idea of decolonisation fit into her work? How about the flatness of her photographs? The vibrant colours?
This article gets to know all that and the artist behind it all. This is Wawi Navarroza.
More from Tatler: Filipino artist Jana Benitez: “we don’t make art, it comes from within us”
As Wild As We Come Exhibit
Navarroza questions the meaning of “wild”. She highlights the use of the word in regard to the East—being seen as savage, uncivilised, and possibly dangerous. Through her work, she redefines the word’s meaning to express vitality, bravado, and strength.
As Wild As We Come hones in on the nature of motherhood. Not only does it serve as a historical marker for when she birthed her son Gabriel, but as a statement on the disturbing notion of a woman’s worth when bearing a child. Notice how the title is As Wild as We Come, not ‘I’. It’s not just her own experience. The lack of a support system is a burden that all women bear, and she wanted to open up that conversation through artwork that mothers can reflect on and resonate with.
Navarroza’s own experience with this is more tangled in the art world. She was grappling with the pressure to continue creating, but her bodily transformation brought a change in every direction. Though it took her a couple of years to sort it out, she has been reborn and emerged stronger.
Read more: Art Fair PH 2023: Lineup of this year's exhibitors and artists