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 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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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