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J
inggoy Buensuceso is a material and process artist of his time, whose body of work represents the new vanguard of contemporary art in the Philippines, as well as embodying the zeitgeist of this adrenaline-fueled epoch. The sculptor’s practice is based on a balanced synesthetic vocabulary of primitive and modern methodologies. It is not limited to the purely conceptual, but traverses the multi-disciplines of art, from large-scale installations to more intimate series that respond to the postmodern world’s new ways of living, playing, and thinking. Apart from observing the mental and physical rigours necessary to working with complex inorganic materials such as heavy metals, he utilises his flow to compose artworks that portray dynamic elements of his own personal multiverse. His work is prescient in a high velocity, technologic society populated by individuals living in fear of hurtling towards unknown tomorrows. Sculptures and reinvented canvases deliver hope to the despairing, connect the disconnected, and bring together what the modern era has torn asunder. Buensuceso’s individualist perspective forges ahead to a brave new future, constantly reflected in the way he transforms disparate personal stories into universal human themes that speak the language of every person.
SILENT LUCIDITY and CHAOTIC DISSONANCE In the aftermath of the rondo called war, fragments of robots and battleships float in the complete silence of deep space. Suddenly - the cosmos awakens and unleashes infinite lines of hair from its darkness, encasing the fragments until they sink into its dreams of watery oblivion. Beneath what remains of old lives that have been destroyed, the foundations of new worlds can be rebuilt. Buensuceso's hair is a symbol of his own personal power, of the artist's quest for immortality and desire for his DNA to live on through his work, uncorrupted by time and space.
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THE SEA OF DIVINE MADNESS Our divine planet plays host to primordial seas teeming with ancient beings and godlike beasts. All life has its origins in the shadowlands of the deep. Our forefathers, born in the water, walked onto land in an evolutionary baptism. As we inhaled the petrichor of our newfound home, little did we know that we would one day return to be a part of the soil. And as the continents shift violently to form new lands, so too do we experience the full vehement upheaval of life when we die, so that new lives may be born. 3
Buensuceso’s sculptures took root and grew forth from the pneumatic punk uprising of earlier shows like Rebellion (2014), to the desolate alien badlands of Unfamiliar Landscapes (2016), and most recently to the inner, turbulent spiral into the artist’s childhood memories in Beyond Existence (2017). His work is marked by a perpetual state of restless energy and momentum, beginning with the simplistic essence of forms symbolising the id and ego in his formative years, then gradually tearing off unhinged into a deeply spiritual aria of lines, light, and shadows in his later years. What resonates throughout this expansive body of work is Buensuceso’s consistent ethos of the artist’s divergent roles as arbiter between worlds, and as keeper of the divine knowledge inherent to the human condition. The physical manifestation of Buensuceso’s art comes from his own sense of peripeteia, a sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances, as materials and processes are left to rise and fall into unexpected resolutions. In the sculptor’s hands, the raw materials evolve in endless mutant explorations of seemingly impossible and inhuman imagery. These contrasting, sci-fi components of hard, man-made automata and the soft, animalistic parts of humanity are meditations on the dualism of life and its atomic infiltration into our storied unconscious. His escape into the eternal abandonment of realms both earthly and ethereal have taught him to see under the skin of the perishable world, where his art transcends the limitations of the Orwellian machine, and humanity become aluminum-clad angels made flesh. In Buensuceso’s imaginarium, the world transforms into a playground for the higher senses. The dichotomy of existence, with its infinite and opposing beasts of order and chaos, nurtures his iconoclastic convictions of the primordial pairings that feature in his work. True to his anarchic style, he has embraced the colour black as an ambiguous muse: black is nothingness and being; it is sensuous and solemn; it is freeing and confining; it is the colour of the void that births manifold universes.
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THIS IS WHERE THE MACHINE STOPS and SYMPHONY IN PLASTICITY Amidst a backdrop of snowy canvases, Buensuceso tears asunder his son’s beloved toys and scatters them into a haphazard kaleidoscope of rainbowhued plastic and multiple strands of his own hair, representing the inorganic and organic binaries that make up his own version of the universe. We are the universe, and the universe is a part of us. The memories of the universe are ours, and we are its memories.
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ANCIENT CITIES OF CHILDREN Quietly, and in the night, small hands build upon the faces of carbon giants. These giants were once trees, but fire turned them into fossils of a distant past. Their petrified bodies lay untouched for a hundred years, until the children of nearby forests reclaimed them and built their cities of black gold and shimmering sands. 9
THE WOUND THAT NEVER HEALS, THE GOD THAT NEVER DIES In Buensuceso’s central and most symbolic work, the artist identifies himself as a Christlike figure; not a figure of worship, but one that lies supine on an altar of personal suffering. By offering himself to the divine soil that birthed and nurtured him, he is humbling himself to the powers of the universe. The metal Christ’s fluids rain down on formations of centuries-old charcoal, which receive their blessings in silence. Over time, the giving of lifeblood will carve new lines into these old forms. The artist experiences his ultimate catharsis by infiltrating his own mind, destroying his body, and rebuilding his existence in a cosmos that belongs only to him.
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DYSTOPIAN FUTURE OVERTURE The omnipresent lines of Buensuceso’s signature Topography series lead us to a place of constant motion and entropy. The mountains of memories rise and fall in time with the civilisations of man. Great cities erode into deserts of dust. Only these living landscapes remain as testaments to mankind’s diseased world as he vaults mindlessly into the valley of his own destruction, forsaken by his own eternal evolution. 11
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REQUIEM FOR A FARAWAY STAR In molten space, a star looms crimson in its crumbling galaxy, waiting for Death. The red behemoth exhales and collapses in a rhapsody of fire and heat. To the rest of the universe, this death is but a small part of existence and goes unnoticed. But the universe knows, and will not tolerate the void. Hence, the dead star is reborn as a black portal where time stands as still as a black and white photograph, where multiple lives can be relived and lost loves rediscovered, all at the same time, through a lens darkly.
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OUR TIME FOLDS, UNFOLDS, AND ACCELERATES Buensuceso’s most brutally-charged interpretation of his Origami series is a meditation on life and time’s fleeting nature, in bleak contrast to the vastness of universal existence. As if taken by the hand of a capricious God, the universe becomes a plaything to be bent and folded by divine will. The results are furious, hyper-fast landscapes of galaxies and nebulae manipulated by a God whose hands are stained with the insanity of destruction. This cosmic narrative is divided into three parts: retribution, redemption, and resolution.
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THE WORLDS BETWEEN US Imagine yourself lying on the ground and looking up at the clouds, and beyond these clouds, are worlds we do not know. Each cloud represents a life and a life’s journey. This life must travel in one direction down a very long road, until it reaches the end. This begs the question: is there more after this life? Or, do we just enjoy the modest pleasures that existence brings, however brief?
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Another interpretation is to see the clouds as resembling cells in the microcosm of our bodies, and every cell evolves and renews in perfect symbiosis of the flesh. At the very heart of our biology, human beings are drawn to each other. This sublime connection is what defines our humanity, in a world that is often disconnected, indifferent, and unhinged.
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Forever adrift in his private creative cosmos, Buensuceso continues to tend to the conflicted hybrid installations in his inner sacrosanctum, as if he is somehow simultaneously connected and disconnected from the ravages of time and existence. Ever a man of what he calls the “beautiful process,” his art forsakes denouements; he is thoroughly aware of the inescapable knife-edge of Fate as he contemplates his evolution as maker and unmaker of worlds. He is the many-faced dog-god of his own universe, with one face covered in the spirits of the old and obsolete machine of the past, whilst the other face gazes, gimlet-eyed, into the darker-than-black thundercracks of destiny.From a bucolic childhood in Bataan, Jinggoy Buenscuceso’s voyages would take him to faraway Manila where he finished his Visual Communications degree in the University of the Philippines Diliman, renowned as a hotbed of intellectuals, originators, and outliers. This volatile formative period would give him the iron discipline he needed to carve his path to fullfledged artistic freedom. His experiences in New York and Singapore would continue to shape his personal and professional destinies. With the impetus of a crescendo, Buensuceso has earned critical and commercial success for his art and designs. He has been recognised and featured in Maison & Object Paris, Wallpaper Magazine, The Artling, Design Anthology, and Manila FAME. Buensuceso lives and works in a quiet part of Cavite with his family, where he can seek inspiration in verdant forests of nature and of the mind, and in the symphony of his omnipresent Stygian cosmos. •
DETAIL OF “OUR TIME FOLDS, UNFOLDS AND ACCELERATES 1” (2018)
LIST OF WORKS
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Chaotic Dissonance (2018) Gundam toys and artist’s hair on salago and abaca fiber pulp handmade paper
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153 × 123 × 4.50 CM / 60.28 × 48.46 × 1.77 IN
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Silent Lucidity (2018) Gundam toys and artist’s hair on salago and abaca fiber pulp handmade paper
Ancient Cities of Children 3 (2018) Charcoaled century-old mango wood, Lego and toys 23 × 26 × 30 CM / 9.06 × 10.24 × 11.82 IN
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123 × 201 × 3.50 CM / 48.46 × 79.19 × 1.38 IN
The wound that never heals, the God that never dies (2018) Powder coated molten aluminum, charcoaled century-old mango wood and black sand 105 × 213 × 151 CM / 41.37 × 83.92 × 59.49 IN
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The Sea of Divine Madness 2 (2018) Cement, black sand, powder-coated molten aluminum
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260 × 386 × 22 CM / 102.44 × 152.08 × 8.67 IN
110.5 × 110.5 × 10.5 CM / 43.54 × 43.54 × 4.14 IN
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The Sea of Divine Madness 1 (2018) Cement, black sand, powder-coated molten aluminum 110.5 × 110.5 × 10.5 CM / 43.54 × 43.54 × 4.14 IN
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Symphony in Plasticity (2018) Toys, artist’s hair on salago and abaca fiber pulp handmade paper 102 × 103 × 2 CM / 40.19 × 40.58 × 0.79 IN
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This is where the machine stops (2018) Toys, artist’s hair on salago and abaca fiber pulp handmade paper 102 × 103 × 2 CM / 40.19 × 40.58 × 0.79 IN
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Ancient Cities of Children 2 (2018) Charcoaled century-old mango wood, Lego and toys
Dystopian Future Overture (2018) Powder-coated metal
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Requiem For a Faraway Star 1 (2018) Powder-coated molten aluminum 186 × 121 × 10 CM / 73.28 × 47.67 × 3.94 IN
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Our time folds, unfolds and accelerates 1 (2018) Powder-coated aluminum 115 × 123 × 52 CM / 45.31 × 48.46 × 20.49 IN
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Our time folds, unfolds and accelerates 2 (2018) Powder-coated aluminum 96 × 183 × 98 CM / 37.82 × 72.10 × 38.61 IN
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The Worlds Between Us 1 (2018) Cement, black sand, powder-coated molten aluminum on wood 153 × 153 × 9 CM / 60.28 × 60.28 × 3.55 IN
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35 × 25.5 × 22.5 CM / 13.79 × 10.05 × 8.87 IN
The Worlds Between Us 2 (2018) Cement, black sand, powder-coated molten aluminum on wood 153 × 153 × 9 CM / 60.28 × 60.28 × 3.55 IN
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Ancient Cities of Children 1 (2018) Charcoaled century-old mango wood, Lego and toys 33 × 26 × 25.80 CM / 13 × 10.24 × 10.17 IN
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Requiem For a Faraway Star 2 (2018) Powder-coated molten aluminum 188 × 274 × 8 CM / 74.07 × 107.96 × 3.15 IN
JINGGOY BUENSUCESO C U R R I C U L U M V I TA E T H E A RT I S T
Jinggoy Buensuceso is a Visual Artist and Sculptor based in the Philippines. He is increasingly becoming known for large-scale sculptural installations that add distinction to premiere architectural projects. His chosen medium is metal and he is a strong proponent of linear art - his work evoking stories and brave statements of oneself, culture, and way of life through the use of lines, the simplest form of art and design.
BACKGROUND & TRAINING
Buensuceso was born in Samal, Bataan in the Philippines in March 1982. He graduated from the University of the Philippines in Diliman with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, major in Visual Communication in 2003. The artist has gained extensive local and international experience in Visual Arts. The art and architecture of New York and Singapore, where he was based longest have had a strong influence in his work as evident in their bold statements and clean lines.
K E Y A RT I S T I C P R O J E C T S
• “Derive” & “Drift”
METAL SCULPTURES FOR
SHANGRILA THE FORT BGC 2015 - 2016
• “Flight”
OUTDOOR OXIDIZED METAL SCULPTURE,
CHUNG RESIDENCE, URDANETA, MAKATI CITY, 2014
• “The Path”, “Pinatubo”, “Blackhole”, “Contour” SCULPTURES FOR MARCO POLO HOTEL ORTIGAS 2013-2014
• “The First Pillar”
DRAGON METAL SCULPTURE,
GREEN SUN BUILDING, PASONG TAMO EXT. MAKATI CITY 2014
EXHIBITIONS
2017
Beyond Existence, Manifesto Gallery, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, November 2017
2016
Unfamiliar Landscapes, Galleria Duemila, Pasay City, October 2016
As • Asia “Unfamiliar Talents: Landscapes”, Creative Culture, Galleria Thailand Duemila, Innovation Pasay City,&October Design2016 Expo, ia Talents: Queen Creative Sirikit National Culture, Thailand Convention Innovation Center,&September Design Expo, 2016 Queen (Selected Sirikit National by Wallpaper Convention Magazine Center, as September Outstanding Asia 2016 (Selected Talent by of Wallpaper the Year 2016) Magazine as Outstanding Asia Talent of the Year 2016) “Reverie” Two Reverie, ManTwo Exhibition, Man Exhibition, Galerie Astra, Galerie July Astra, 2016 July 2016 “External”External, Group Exhibit, GroupManifesto Exhibit, Manifesto Gallerie Inc, Gallerie February Inc, February 2016 2016 2015
Light and Shadow Show, Manila Fame Special Setting, March 2015
2014
Rebellion, Solo exhibit, Galleria Duemila, Pasay City, Manila, July - Aug 2014
2013
Nimbus City, Two Man Exhibition, Galerie Astra, October 2013 Black and White, Group Exhibit Gallery Collection, Galeria Duemila, Pasay City, Manila, July 2013 Ellle Decor Cafe + Dedon and CBTL, Manila Fame Show, March and October 2013 OTOP Pavilion Manila Fame Show, March 2013
2012
OTOP Pavilion Manila Fame Show, October 2012 11th Annual Sculpture Review Group Exhibition, Gallery 9 SM Megamall, September 2012
Somewhat Different, Epoch Group Exhibition, Goethe Institute, Yuchengco Museum, Makati Trans Culture, Epoch Group Exhibition, LRI Design Plaza, Makati, Philippines, March 2012 2011
Eclectic, Group Exhibition, Momentous Gallery, Philippine Art Trek V, Singapore, November 2011 Red Box, Group Exhibition, Manila Fame, Philippines, October 2011 Articulation, 17 Filipino Artists Group Exhibition, Kulay Diwa, Philippines, October 2011 Recent Works - Buensuceso, Lascano, Jimenez, Group Exhibition, Galerie Anna, Philippines, April 2011
2010 Philippine Art Trek IV New Grounds, Group Exhibition, Momentous Gallery, Singapore, November 2010 From Garage to Studio, Group Exhibition, Momentous Gallery, Singapore, July 2010 Mutya by Buensuceso Wearable Art, Solo Exhibition, Galerie Joaquin Singapore, Jan - Feb 2010 2009
Connections, Solo Exhibition, John Erdos Art, Singapore, Sept 2009 Tryst, Solo Exhibition, Philippine Center, Manhattan, New York, May 2009 The Future Legends, Group Exhibition, Manila, Philippines, March 2009
2007
Aluminum 3105 Alloy Series, Solo Exhibition, Galerie Astra, Makati, Philippines, April 2007
2006
Guest Artist, Pablo Gallery, Manila Philippines
2003
Gravity, Group Exhibition, University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, Manila, Philippines
AWA R D S R E C E I V E D
Rising Asian Talents of Maison et Objet Paris, 2017 Outstanding Designer of the Year, Wallpaper Magazine Thailand, 2016 Manila FAME Katha Awardee
g al leria duem ila was established in 1975 by Italian born Silvana AncellottiDiaz. Duemila means “twentieth century”, and it was this vision that inspired Duemila’s advocacy in promoting and preserving Philippine contemporary art. To date, it is the longest running commercial art gallery in the Philippines maintaining a strong international profile. With the vision to expose its artists locally and within the ASEAN region, Duemila complements its exhibits with performances, readings and musical events in its custom-built gallery in Pasay City, Manila. Galleria Duemila takes pride in being the only local gallery to publish and mount retrospectives of artists as part of its advocacy in pursuing art historical research and scholarship. With the collaboration of institutions, Duemila has mounted the retrospectives of
Roberto M.A. Robles (Ateneo Art Gallery, 2011), Duddley Diaz (Vargas Museum, 2009), Julie Lluch Dalena (Cultural Center of the Philippines, 2008). It has also published a book on Diosdado Magno Lorenzo (National Library of the Philippines, 2009) and produced a major Pacita Abad exhibition at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, 2004. The gallery maintains close ties with museums throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, and the United States. Its futurist vision keeps it at the cuttingedge of Philippine art, making and archiving history as it happens.
s e rv i ce s : conservation an d r e s t or ation of p a i n t i n g s , consu ltancy s e rv i ce s , c om m issions and i n s t a llat i on
Jinggoy Buensuceso Distortions of Reality JUL 07 - AUG 25, 2018
A RT D I R E C T O R
Silvana Ancellotti-Diaz
EXHIBITION TEAM
Johanna Labitoria Vicente Amancio, Jr. Jose Jeoffrey Baba Gabriel Abalos Bea Tacalan
Thess Ponce Bing Francisco Roy Abrenica Edgar Bautista
C ATA L O G U E D E S I G N
Anna Rafanan
Copyright Š 2018 Jinggoy Buensuceso and Galleria Duemila, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system transmitted in any form or by any means without the written consent of the abovementioned copyright holders, with the exception of reasonably brief excerpts and quotations used in articles, critical essays or research.
