Last sunday, a colorful adventure

Has it been a year already? Lately I seem to be marking time with facebook memories – the ones that remind you of things you've posted on the same day two or three years ago. Talk about dejavu. Suggesting that certains part of my life hasn't changed? Haha. Other times though it's the yearly events I go to and the albums I create for them. Artfair 2015. And now Artfair 2016. How time flies, and I'm running out of hard drive space!

This year I came with friends M and J. I am quite blessed with friends who like the same shit as I do.

Just as any other time, I come into these situations thinking I will see more than what is. In the end though I feel empty handed, like all I gathered was air. Too many times I am preoccupied with my love of the camera ─ the desire to capture that I forget to really look at something and see.

Or maybe I just needed to have a second look. That works on most things. :3

Forgive me if I don't have the title or name of the artists. I hope somehow these photos will do justice to these amazing works of art.

edit: 03/06/2016. My first upload (from my Ipad) look blurry for some reason. Re-uploads! Something is weird with blogger. :/

xxx Artfair 02.21.16

Ukiyoe Portraits exhibit

Oh summer how you punish us so. We managed to finally drag ourselves out of the house for this exhibit after putting it off week after week. Good thing we found time last week. I had been too excited to see this since I passed by a poster during one my jogging sessions. Although I was a little bit disappointed as I was expecting to see landscape Ukiyo-e paintings like the Great Wave of Kanagawa. The focus though is not just to showcase Japanese art but also its social relevance in our current times.

As brief background, Ukiyoe portraits and paintings became prominent in the 17th-19th century. They are made and replicated using woodblocks. The literal translation being pictures of the floating world. The art reflects the hedonistic lifestyle that flourished in Japan after the birth of the Shogun era (military dictatorship). The art often depicts the "popular culture" in those times, portraits of kabuki actors, artisans, geisha, images of Yoshiwara (pleasure district) and Edo period landscape.

"By illustrating the showy and fragile nature of human visuality and performativity in Edo period Japan, we would like to link this with the current globalized mania for personal fame and outrageous display that were prefigured by this uniquely Japanese urban popular culture." 

The exhibit is organized by Japan Foundation Manila and the Asian Center UP Diliman. In case you want to see the portraits they are on display at Japan Hall, GT Toyota, Asian Center until May 15, 2015. Entrance is free. ( ^_^)v

Art Fair Philippines 2015

It's a good thing I'm quite a zen person. Having a calm perspective in life surely helps when most of my adventures come with an element of misadventures in them. haha. No... this time we didn't walk aimlessly searching for the event. Nor did we forget to charge the camera. We were quite prepared, armed and dangerous! Yeah! *fistpump*

So we got to the event with no hitch on the arrangement. So excited when we were finally in line to ride the elevator. The elevator reached level 2 and.....stayed there for a good 15 minutes Σ(ﾟДﾟ|||). *yey*  I must say getting stuck in the elevator was quite exciting but let's trust the universe that it won't happen again.  *lol*

Ahh what can I say. It was truly an amazing experience. From the first moment I stepped beyond the ticket booth, I was transported to a completely new world filled with art and culture. It did look like a fashion event, that's art too right?! I mostly ogled at their shoes. *haha*

Art Fair 2015 did not disappoint. We saw so many pieces of art in different styles, shape and mediums. My feet hurt from roaming around. (￣▽￣)ノ We went to all the galleries across two floors. This is the 3rd year for the event, It seems that more and more galleries are joining every year. Even collections from foreign companies or where they galleries?

Here are some of our favorites..

Equator Art Projects: First two are from Eddie Hara.

Mona Lisa Project

What better way to cap off a stressful week but with art, good food and great company. Raph and I dragged ourselves to Solaire (and MOA) despite horrible traffic and the mad mad rush of holiday shoppers. Ugh holiday traffic is the worst!

It was still worth it though. We had a lot of fun. :)

Firstly, can I just say how much I love Solaire and how I want to camp inside and never ever leave. haha

Back on track, basically, the exhibit is how local artists understand and interpret  the Mona Lisa. And since I love reinterpretations of classical pieces, of course I had to see these for myself! It's a whole new way of enjoying the same art but in different perspectives and styles.

Here are some of my favorites...the other photos turned out blurry ( T-T)~

#9 Don Dalmacio

#16 Raffy Napay

#31 Roberto Chabet

#61 Everywhere we shoot

These three are my favorite:

#54 Frederick Sausa

#26 Paulo Vinluan

And my absolute favorite #64 by Iya Consorio :) I am loving this kind of art - I wonder what it's called, ink art? pen art?

There's so much going on but it doesn't look messy. The lines are clear. And of course the gold ink! Love it!

I'm hoping I will get to see the real Mona Lisa within the next 10 years (ahem pressure haha) but for now I'm happy I got to ogle at these lovely pieces of art. Catch it until June 15, 2015 at the Sky Tower, Solaire Hotel! (^-^)v

How to get there: Ride the MRT and alight at Taft station. Ride a jeep going to SM MOA. Walk or ride a taxi going to Solaire.

You can also catch Solaire's shuttle service: solaireresort.com

I will upload the rest of the photos in Instagram @heyladyspring and Facebook. Add me guys! :)