The infectious youth of Jecko Magallon’s ‘Hunol’

10:34 PM


THE Iloilo art community’s enfant terrible Jecko Magallon opened his first solo show the only way you’d expect him to: By taking the irreverence and attitude of street art and slathering it all over the pristine white walls of gallery i – literally of course. Art, #MillennialMaverhick, #nofilter, Iloilo, Calle Real, gallery i, Gallery, Community, Creative, Creativity, Culture, jecko magallon, hunol, Exhibit, Youth, ViVa ExCon

THE Iloilo art community’s enfant terrible Jecko Magallon opened his first solo show the only way you’d expect him to: By taking the irreverence and attitude of street art and slathering it all over the pristine white walls of gallery i – literally of course.

THE Iloilo art community’s enfant terrible Jecko Magallon opened his first solo show the only way you’d expect him to: By taking the irreverence and attitude of street art and slathering it all over the pristine white walls of gallery i – literally of course. Art, #MillennialMaverhick, #nofilter, Iloilo, Calle Real, gallery i, Gallery, Community, Creative, Creativity, Culture, jecko magallon, hunol, Exhibit, Youth, ViVa ExCon

The 20-year-old Ilonggo artist-on-the-rise unveiled his first solo show – candidly titled “Hunol” –on Nov. 24 at gallery i in Iloilo City, giving his audience a peak into his creative process by also mounting a live art piece, a practice he’s already carried out a few times before.

With “Hunol” the emerging artist seeks to branch out further, from street art to local galleries, without forgetting to anchor on his roots.
“Hunol means to plant [in Hiligaynon] with extra care and effort,” shares Magallon. “Carefully to make sure that the plant will live and thrive. In time, [it hopefully will] grow and will [be able to] stand on its own.”

THE Iloilo art community’s enfant terrible Jecko Magallon opened his first solo show the only way you’d expect him to: By taking the irreverence and attitude of street art and slathering it all over the pristine white walls of gallery i – literally of course. Art, #MillennialMaverhick, #nofilter, Iloilo, Calle Real, gallery i, Gallery, Community, Creative, Creativity, Culture, jecko magallon, hunol, Exhibit, Youth, ViVa ExCon

One of Iloilo’s most promising new artists, Magallon is more popularly known for his public art flourishing around the growing metropolis – most prominently seen along Ortiz Street in Iloilo City Proper. But evident in both his mural and canvas pieces is his distinct signature aesthetic: Toeing the fine line between graffiti, Pop Art, and Neo-Expressionism, but injecting his own infectious and youthful insight.
In a bit of self-deprecating humor, the young artist names one of the portraits in his gallery of rogues “Child-like, Not Childish” – arguably how the naïf may describe his works as they fail to grasp the depths of Magallon’s characters.

THE Iloilo art community’s enfant terrible Jecko Magallon opened his first solo show the only way you’d expect him to: By taking the irreverence and attitude of street art and slathering it all over the pristine white walls of gallery i – literally of course. Art, #MillennialMaverhick, #nofilter, Iloilo, Calle Real, gallery i, Gallery, Community, Creative, Creativity, Culture, jecko magallon, hunol, Exhibit, Youth, ViVa ExCon

In pieces “Instant Gratification,” “Are You, You” and “Instagram to Kilogram,” Magallon pokes fun at the present generation’s obsession with social media, subverting symbols of vanity and validation (YouTube buttons, IG likes, glaring screens) for his own use; in “Grow Younger,” “Depressed Means Deep Rest,” and “Awkward Doesn’t Exist” he taps into the growing pains of a young adult.

THE Iloilo art community’s enfant terrible Jecko Magallon opened his first solo show the only way you’d expect him to: By taking the irreverence and attitude of street art and slathering it all over the pristine white walls of gallery i – literally of course. Art, #MillennialMaverhick, #nofilter, Iloilo, Calle Real, gallery i, Gallery, Community, Creative, Creativity, Culture, jecko magallon, hunol, Exhibit, Youth, ViVa ExCon

Clearly inspired by New York art mavericks Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, Magallon channels the iconic duo through pop culture references and the off-kilter phrases he uses to complement his uninhibited characters – even paying homage to Warhol and the The Velvet Underground’s banana print and Basquiat’s infamous three-pronged crown.

THE Iloilo art community’s enfant terrible Jecko Magallon opened his first solo show the only way you’d expect him to: By taking the irreverence and attitude of street art and slathering it all over the pristine white walls of gallery i – literally of course. Art, #MillennialMaverhick, #nofilter, Iloilo, Calle Real, gallery i, Gallery, Community, Creative, Creativity, Culture, jecko magallon, hunol, Exhibit, Youth, ViVa ExCon

Aside from allusions to the Disney’s Mickey Mouse ears and artificially-sweetened Coca-Cola soft drinks, Magallon hints at inspiration from the unrivaled the Beatles the most – the British band’s signature yellow submarine making a cameo in handful of his pieces. It reaches fever pitch in “I Get High With a Lil Help from my Friends” – recasting 1967 hit “With a Little Help from My Friends” with his own close circle of pals, every square inch as trippy as the original “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” album cover.

THE Iloilo art community’s enfant terrible Jecko Magallon opened his first solo show the only way you’d expect him to: By taking the irreverence and attitude of street art and slathering it all over the pristine white walls of gallery i – literally of course. Art, #MillennialMaverhick, #nofilter, Iloilo, Calle Real, gallery i, Gallery, Community, Creative, Creativity, Culture, jecko magallon, hunol, Exhibit, Youth, ViVa ExCon

With his first solo show, Magallon hopes to plant seeds of growth in his own pursuit as a budding artist, and hopefully gain the encouragement and respect of Iloilo’s veteran artists whom he describes as already “big trees” in the local art community.

“‘Hunol’ describes both me and my exhibit,” relates the emerging artist. “Still developing and trying [to establish roots]. But [in the near future] this plant will grow ready for the bigger world, to grow as a tree and achieve its purpose.”

Photos courtesy of Eric Barbosa Jr. and ATMOS.PH.
Like ATMOS.PH on Facebook and visit their website.
THE Iloilo art community’s enfant terrible Jecko Magallon opened his first solo show the only way you’d expect him to: By taking the irreverence and attitude of street art and slathering it all over the pristine white walls of gallery i – literally of course. Art, #MillennialMaverhick, #nofilter, Iloilo, Calle Real, gallery i, Gallery, Community, Creative, Creativity, Culture, jecko magallon, hunol, Exhibit, Youth, ViVa ExCon
 

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