TAKSU Kuala Lumpur is honored to present Adobo Country Returns, a group exhibition by 11 Filipino artists; Argie Bandoy, At Maculangan, Gerardo Tan, Jojo Serrano, Juni Salvador, Kiko Escora, Nolet Soliven, Norberto Roldan, Pardo De Leon, Raul Rodriguez and Ronald Achacoso. Previously exhibited in Taksu Singapore as Adobo Country and Abstraction: Lost and Found, these artists are back to represent the contemporary art scene from the Philippines.

Adobo, a popular Filipino dish, as well as a marinating process, which despite its history of mixed origin, is a quintessential part of Philippine culture. The Philippines, having been under two Western colonies, and its close contact with many of its Asian neighbors, has made this country an interesting study of cultural adoption. The parallelism between each work, in spite of disparities in their forms as a whole, may be a study in contrast which may lead to a sentience of a quiet murmur, or a simmering dish.

Along with the reflection of external influences that are reformulated to fit local conditions, comes the practice of manipulating the earthly medium of paint wherein the elements, pigments and essences become alchemical substances that transmogrify these objects into vessels of contemplative resonance. The artists of Abstraction: Lost and Found, strive to breathe new life into the ‘obsolete’ medium of paint but loosely incorporate elements from photography, sculpture, film, and literature as mode to navigate through the labyrinthine self-entrapment of contemporary culture.

Image: © Pardo De Leon, TAKSU Kuala Lumpur