MOST visual artists treat solo exhibitions as platforms to showcase something new, something fresh. Then there’s acclaimed abstractionist Katrina Cuenca, who, in her latest one-artist presentation, made no bones about maintaining the status quo.
‘As with all of my work, it’s the same principle,’ she said about the theme of her most recent exhibit at Art Lounge Manila-Alabang, underscoring instead the consistent sense of optimism that radiates from her colorful, kinetic artworks. ‘The intention is always for the viewers to feel some semblance of peace and happiness-a sense of calm.’
In no way does Cuenca’s statement suggest a lack of vision. If anything, it feels more like a refreshing approach, one that challenges the notion that novelty serves as the lone currency of an artist’s creativity. While Cuenca’s own practice has evolved into other mediums, she chooses to ground her artworks on the principle it’s best known for, communicating the same message she still finds fulfilment in spreading.
As always, positivity shone bright in her latest show, Elysium. Around 30 artworks comprised of paintings and her newer ventures into sculpture filled Art Lounge’s high-ceiling exhibition space at Molito Lifestyle Center in Alabang from September 17 to 29.
During the artist’s reception over the weekend, the self-taught Cuenca shared that she tries to keep true to her practice’s identity no matter what. The exhibit’s featured series, for instance, was created during a ‘dark period’ following her mother’s passing. And yet, her artworks still hold form as vintage Cuenca with its twisting forms and entrancing palette, reminiscent of a betta fish dancing underwater. It’s a disarming sight, eliciting from the viewer a sense of surrender, as if saying let go and let be.
‘That’s how I wanted to feel [during that challenging period,]’ she said, ‘and I think people can relate to that, as well.’
The message pervades Cuenca’s Elysium. In the sizeable 44′ x 77′ painting Regal Atmospheres, we see her signature forms bursting from a void, its motion and drama heightened with a strategic framing made of silverleaf. Cuenca also uses goldleaf in other artworks, pointing to how as a self-confessed ‘Discovery Channel nerd,’ the idea that people are attracted to shiny objects like gold always stuck with her. She remembers that it’s also described as a ‘happy color,’ that interacting with it releases happy hormones.
‘It’s a sort of lucky charm,’ she said. ‘It’s like whoever is the custodian of my work, I’m giving that person luck.’
The same goes for Cuenca’s auspicious Talisman series, which features golden diamond backgrounds that accentuate her dynamic figures. Meanwhile, the exhibit also presented Cuenca’s more recent forays into glass sculptures, including the cerulean Fractus Caeli, which appears like an elemental block taken straight out of the ocean, frozen in time.
Cuenca’s experimentation with different materials and explorations into other mediums demonstrates her natural inquisitiveness. ‘As an abstract artist,’ she said, ‘it’s my job to keep experimenting.’
She’s also excited to test the artistic potential of various items, just like dichroic films, stretched beyond its industrial applications. Even the way she paints puts limits to the test. Her process involves her placing the canvas upside-down and in other different positions just to see how her forms dance at every angle.
What remains constant amid all the changes, however, is the positive, inspiring and enriching energy of her artwork.
Cuenca said, ‘I think that’s where I found my purpose.’
