Jomike Tejido’s inspiration came from his love of creating imaginative fantasy worlds. For his latest solo exhibition “By the Light of the Moon”, the artist is focusing on the majestic and the overall serenity the night provides. “In this collection, I gave special attention to the moon and its powerful, guiding, mystical, and not to mention beautiful, presence.” Tejido narrates.
The color palette used by Tejido is inspired by video game concept designs and illustrations, as well as the embodiment of the immersive nature of a game that draws the viewer into a mythical world. Remembering a carefree time of his childhood when he played an immersive strategy game, the artist relives this comforting feeling at the time of his life when he had the freedom to get lost for hours in a fantastic and whimsical realm.
Tejido’s fascination with mysticism is especially evident in the titles of his work; with subtle references from fantastic elven culture —from its archers, ancients (trees), healing moonwells, to the names of its mystical lands— that all venerate the moon as a source of life.
Trained in the field of Architecture, Tejido’s oeuvre also contains elements of mid-century modern design – influenced by 1950s illustrators and painters that reference an exciting time of discovery in science, technology, and the space race era. His multidisciplinary art practice curiously resides at the intersection between contemporary concepts and analogue styling. It fuses the formal concerns of midcentury modern design and architecture with the eclecticism of video game culture. The intention is to invite audiences of diverse backgrounds to be curious, speculate on the impact of the artworks, and to move into a space of differing imaginations.
Jose Miguel “Jomike” Tejido (b.1982) acquired his Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Santo Tomas in 2005. Tejido has had solo exhibitions from various galleries around the metro since 2007, and has participated in group exhibitions since 2005. Tejido won awards from major institutions such as the Shell National Students Art Competition (Finalist, 2001-2002), Maningning Miclat Painting Competition (Finalist, 2006), NCCA (Travel Grant to Tokyo, Japan Recipient), AAP Semi-Annual Abstract Art Competition (Finalist, 2007), and the latest from Philippine Art Awards (2020, Shortlisted, Sculpture Category).
As an illustrator with two decades of experience, Jomike Tejido has over 100 children’s books illustrated in Manila and the USA. He specializes in being an author-illustrator of book series production to take books to the next level and make toys out of their characters. Foreign publications include a Little & Brown Co., Scholastic, Highlights Magazine, Oxford University Press, McGraw-Hill, Capstone, Walter Foster Jr. and The Hachette Book Group and National Geographic to name a few.
“By the Light of the Moon” by Jomike Tejido will be on view from June 17 to 26, 2021. Galerie Joaquin U.P. Town Center is located at 2/F Phase 2 U.P. Town Center, Katipunan Ave., Diliman, Quezon City. For more information, contact (+63)2 8247 1109 or email galeriejoaquin@gmail.com.
