The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) presented, HANDMADE, a craft-based exhibit by Josephine Turalba, Steph Palallos and Carmel Lim-Torres at Bulwagang Carlos V. Francisco (Little Theater Lobby) from September 16 to October 18, 2015. HANDMADE is curated by Leo Abad.
I passed by the area when my friends and I braved the “waters and wind” (Margie Moran’s words) to attend Ballet Philippines’ Sarong Banggi on Sunday, October 18. I am used to seeing artistic pieces on display in every nook and cranny of CCP, but the HANDMADE pieces caught my eye because of the flimsy looking undergarments cascading from the ceiling. They were hard to miss as they were situated next to the staircase leading to the CCP Main Theater. The transparent fabric looked like stationary kites on a windless day (which was opposite of what was happening outside CCP, thanks to Typhoon Koppu).
On the rightmost side of the exhibit, a short paragraph explaining the concept is found. It says, “the use of craft in contemporary art means a dedication to materials and processes, though not entirely as a path to perfection and polish. On the contrary, the craft approach to art production shuns aesthetic perfection. Art that comes out of craftwork is a celebration of individuality amidst the spirit of globalism. It provides a concreteness and tactility that cyberspace can only offer virtually. It is in contrast to certain tendencies in globalism that promote a sense of cultural uniformity.”
Josephine Turalba’s leatherwork depicts her memories which could also be the memories of other people as they include ubiquitous objects like traffic lights, dirty ice cream cart and what looks like 711 signage.
Carmel Lim-Torres’s work is composed of paper, wood and ceramics to signify hope in spite of economic hardship.