Cover Ronald Ventura (Photo: Ian Santos)
Ronald Ventura (Photo: Ian Santos)
1 / 1
For its inaugural edition, the Goldenberg Mansion’s series highlighting the country’s finest visual artists kicks off with an exhibition of paintings, sculptures, and print works by internationally renowned artist Ronald Ventura
Totalling 11 artworks, including paintings, sculptures, and print works, Ventura’s Astig-Mata exhibition expands on one of the artist’s lauded works, first seen in 2016 at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Taipei. Astig-Mata reveals the artist’s perception and an amalgamation of instinctive visual suggestions on female beauty, strength, and power.
“It’s a celebration of the freedom of expression of the female gender,” Ventura explains to Tatler. “I used the feminine image to symbolise [and illustrate] our Motherland,” he added.
This series was brought forth by Ventura’s collaboration with people from the fashion industry. His generous exchange of ideas with designers and creatives led him to expand his 2016 work, Finding Home, into other expressions and eras of women, blending nostalgic and contemporary visual elements that somehow allude to the story of the Filipino nation.
1 / 1
Indeed, Ventura did not hold back in adding social commentaries to his works by juxtaposing certain imageries, for example, in one painting where a Filipiniana-wearing woman is holding a branded luxury bag. Bamboo figures were prominent in his works, symbolising resiliency and adaptability. Bucolic aesthetics was also dominant in the series, with illustrations of bahay kubo (nipa hut), rice planting and harvesting, and many more. But Ventura’s distinct predilection for Japanese pop culture was not absent, not to mention gothic-styled structures, mythical Chinese imageries like dragons, Japanese Occupation scenes, and other foreign elements that were referenced by the artist from old photographs. With these, the artist clearly wants to explore how we look at things and what we aspire to be.
In this exhibition, we see through the eyes of hipness, coolness and impeccable taste. The artist focuses on how we Filipinos perceive our all-important history and heritage, how we look within ourselves and toward our kababayans (countrymen) in order to excel in the present, and how we regard the tribulations and triumphs in the future.
The exhibition’s host Tim Yap with Carol Masibay Garcia, Ronald Ventura, and Tatler Philippines editor-in-chief Anton San Diego (Photo: Ian Santos)
1 / 9
Art collectors, patrons, artists and friends gathered for the Goldenberg Mansion’s milestone of launching its Art Series. Last February 13, First Lady Liza Marcos led the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the by-invitational affair with Senator Mark Villar and his wife, Undersecretary Em Aglipay-Villar. Fittingly, Malabon’s enduring bamboo orchestra, Musikawayan, enveloped the sartorial affair with its distinctive music.
Ventura and Marcos’ chance meeting at an embassy while making visa applications resulted in an enduring friendship. Ventura clarifies that he does not meddle with political matters, but the friendship resulted in his support of Marcos’ philanthropic efforts. Eventually, when Marcos assumed the Office of the First Lady, she invited Ventura to be the first to mount an art exhibition in the restored Goldenberg Mansion, the government’s newest haven for arts and culture.
The making of Astig-Mata
1 / 2
For Ventura, it is up to the viewers to discover how the series resonates with themselves. But for him, it is both a celebration and a commentary on our unending search for the Filipino identity. The word astig is a colloquial iteration of the word tigas, which means solid and rock-hard. Astig has been used for people with commanding strength, domineering, and exudes a certain coolness and appeal to many. The title also has the word Mata, which translates to ‘eyes’, together pertains to the visual perception of strength and identity.
The artist’s distinctive signature of multi-layering images was again the highlight of the series, combining illustrations from historical references and contemporary images that come to Ventura’s mind by allowing the central subjects of each painting to call or conjure related objects.
“Sometimes, it tends to be ironic [the juxtapositions], then at the end of the show, I would realise how they ended up together side-by-side,” the artist says, revealing that there is an organic process behind each of his works.
Above One of the pieces from Ronald Ventura’s 2016 exhibition, ‘Finding Home’, in MOCA Taipei
One of the pieces from Ronald Ventura’s 2016 exhibition, ‘Finding Home’, in MOCA Taipei
1 / 1
The Astig-Mata series was an offshoot of his 2016 work from the exhibition Finding Home, presented in MOCA Taipei. The said work, which also joined the Astig-Mata exhibition at the Goldenberg Mansion, was Ventura’s reaction to Botong Francisco’s iconic Bayanihan painting. In Ventura’s version, he recreated some of the elements seen in the Botong painting, to make a social commentary of it. Bayanihan is part of Filipino culture, where townspeople carry the bahay-kubo of one of their brethren from one barrio to another. Aside from it being a relocation, it also shows camaraderie, solidarity, and community spirit.
“Nowadays, people relocate because their houses are being bulldozed, their towns being demolished,” Ventura says.
The painting, which is the first you would see inside the Goldenberg Mansion, at the left side of the foyer is a large-scale work in muted grey and yellow colours, showing townspeople in despair and a bulldozer in the background. Together, they are carrying a house, built with cement and unfinished, a reference to overseas Filipino workers who take years of hard work for them to finish building their homes.
1 / 2
1 / 2
Ventura made the painting even more dramatic by depicting other eras in our history where the Philippines experienced hardship and distress, like the Japanese Occupation.
The series expands this painting by showing the strength and resiliency of a woman, in all her complexities, who emerges from the shadows in vibrant colours and in varying illustrations of what makes our lives better. After all the challenges and hardships, here we see friendliness and joy.
Read also: Diamond Award, Impact Award and Cultural Icon: Meet the 2022 Tatler Ball Awardees
1 / 1
Ventura is preparing for his other exhibitions throughout the year, with a schedule already filled up in the next two to three years. Garnering local and international recognition, the Tatler Ball Cultural Icon Awardee in 2022 admires the continuous growth of the art and culture scene in the country. The proliferation of art fairs illustrates how thriving our art market is. However, he advises fellow artists to “digest” what triggers their creativity and produce works of optimum quality. Many things in our surroundings fuel our passion for creating art, but it is up to us how to wield art’s power. He always carries his previous learnings in his practice every time he creates new works. With this, he reminds artists always to learn new things, discover their artistic identity, and be willing to accept new knowledge.
“Art is the product of expression and creativity. It helps me because it is where I see how I receive information and express it openly, which, in turn, can impact others,” Ventura says.
NOW READ
Art Fair PH 2024/Residencies: 5 artist-residencies to look out for
All roads lead to art: What to look out for at Art Fair Philippines 2024
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.
Work
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.
For any leads, you may reach him through @franzsorillaiv on Instagram or franz@tatlerphilippines.com via email.
