Cover Janice Liuson-Young in her exhibition at Art Camp, titled ‘Everything is Blooming Most Recklessly’ (Photo: Patrick De Veyra)
Janice Liuson-Young in her exhibition at Art Camp, titled ‘Everything is Blooming Most Recklessly’ (Photo: Patrick De Veyra)
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On her third solo exhibition held at Art Camp to cap off 2024, FEATI University School of Fine Arts associate dean Janice Liuson-Young reflected on the duality of creation and our subjective encounter with it
Adorning Art Camp’s inviting facade at Greenbelt 5 was Janice Liuson-Young’s identifiable series of black-and-white gestural abstractions. What seemed like print works for their grainy texture were actually made of acrylic paint, harmoniously spread out in a series of repetitive motions towards a trajectory informed by order and chaos. Above the imperfectly symmetrical diptych was Liuson-Young’s third solo exhibition’s title, Everything is Blooming Most Recklessly, curated by Patrick De Veyra.
Liuson-Young’s play on the irony of what we encounter, value, and evaluate in life best summarises this title, taken from Austrian poet and novelist Rainer Maria Rilke.
“The title evokes an uncontrollable, almost violent blossoming—an explosion of life so transcendental and uncontainable that its full force can never truly be grasped or halted, not even by the fiercest storms,” Liuson-Young said.
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Above Janice Liuson-Young during the ingress of her exhibition in Art Camp, Greenbelt 5
Janice Liuson-Young during the ingress of her exhibition in Art Camp, Greenbelt 5
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The FEATI University School of Fine Arts associate dean and owner of Frames Manila held solo exhibitions relatively recently after spending most of her career in the academe. Her Midway Between Heaven and Earth in early 2024 and Shelter from the Storm in 2021 captured her mastery of neutral colours and subtle hues through sweeping brushstrokes and textured layers. Her spirituality and unique approach to expressing energy through her works showed that it was never too late for anyone to showcase one’s artistry to the public.
In Everything is Blooming Most Recklessly, however, Liuson-Young dared to be bold—presenting harsher contrasts in colour, texture, and even assemblage of patterns and pairings, thus showcasing her adeptness in visual communications, of which she graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines.
“I presented a series of works that reflect my ongoing exploration of gestural abstraction, while also drawing from my deep connection to the saturated colours of the Philippine landscape—a connection that, in these stormy days, feels just out of reach,” she says.
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Above Janice Liuson-Young at work
Above Janice Liuson-Young at work
Janice Liuson-Young at work
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Admiring some of her black-and-white pieces for the show reminded me of typhoons and whirlpools, while her multi-coloured pieces evoked the lush tropics. In his exhibition notes, John Paul Diciembre commented on this dynamic composition as one containing potent energy—“an energy that confronts the tension between beauty and imperfection.”
Liuson-Young explained that she had achieved this profound sensitivity to nature through years of meditation. In a way, her art has also become a meditative and calming experience for her. Through her works, she seeks “to embody the vitality of colour as reflected by a bustling environment—its heat, its brightness, its movement—as it constantly shifts and vibrates”. Admittedly, exhibiting her works has always been nerve-wracking for her as she bares to the public her vulnerability. Yet she maintains a wise demeanour and projects a graceful radiance in mounting her shows.
Above An installation view of the exhibition inside Art Camp in Greenbelt 5
An installation view of the exhibition inside Art Camp in Greenbelt 5
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Above A variation of her ‘Paradiso’ series
A variation of her ‘Paradiso’ series
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In Everything is Blooming Most Recklessly, Liuson-Young showcased over 30 works. While some were duotone on boards and canvases, few pieces were artistically collaged, making paper both a material and an element of the artist’s distinctive visual language.
“I cut and reconfigure painted sheets, each marked by its own gestural pattern, juxtaposing them to create a visual rhythm that pulsates with energy,” Liuson-Young explained, after showing the many variations of Paradiso, her multicoloured series. “These polychromatic pictorial fields reflect the dynamism of tropical life, echoing the vibrancy of the Philippine sun as it breaks through Manila’s urban landscape.”
Above The eight-piece ‘Nuvola’ series by Janice Liuson-Young, black-and-white acrylic on boards in white floating glass
The eight-piece ‘Nuvola’ series by Janice Liuson-Young, black-and-white acrylic on boards in white floating glass
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Asked what took her so long to mount solo exhibitions, Liuson-Young had no better answer than life just happened. Though she loved academic life, a woman’s life’s realities had to be faced head-on before she could pursue such brave strides in her artistic career. But her femininity also made her art distinctive—strong, multi-layered, warm, reflexive and true to the tone, literally and figuratively.
“I have created a series of works that lean more toward the achromatic, an attempt to capture the subdued, almost oppressive quality of the Philippine sky during typhoons and monsoons,” she shares. “These pieces, in stark contrast to the vibrant, polychromatic works, evoke a different atmosphere—one of turbulence, heaviness, and uncertainty.”
Above The window facade of Art Camp in Greenbelt 5 during the exhibition of Janice Liuson-Young
The window facade of Art Camp in Greenbelt 5 during the exhibition of Janice Liuson-Young
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In showing the vibrant and the subdued sides of her environs and how she perceives the world and her position in it, Liuson-Young presented a dynamic contrast in form, energy, and tone, articulating the dramatic shifts in the climate that has unfolded over the past year. But instead of showcasing the usual binaries, her interplay between the two mirrored turbulence and moments of respite in a spectrum of colours reflecting these tensions.
“An overcast sky briefly obscures the vibrant colours of our urban environment, but my work attempts to reimagine the Philippine tropical hues, almost daring to summon them from behind the clouds,” Liuson-Young said.
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Credits
Photography: Patrick De Veyra
About
Before assuming the Art and Culture Editor position, Franz has always had a penchant for visual and performing arts. He is passionate about exploring and writing about the local cultural scene and rediscovering the country’s storied past and rich heritage. Besides working on this luxury lifestyle magazine, Franz is an avid book reader, local traveller, museum-goer, chorister, and community theatre playwright.
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Franz earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Santo Tomas. He writes about local visual and performing artists and their craft; drinks wines, liquors, and spirits and talks about the creativity of their respective winemakers and master blenders; tries to learn more about business and investments; respects the tradition and artistry that go behind the making of watches and jewellery; and appreciates the genius of architecture and creative design.
As head of Tatler Philippines’ pool of writers, he helps them bring impactful and socially relevant stories to light.
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