Gallery: Michael Cacnio  “KWADRO” @ Art Lounge Manila

Gallery: Michael Cacnio “KWADRO” @ Art Lounge Manila

“Genre” is a term used to describe artworks whose subjects are from everyday life.  As a subject, it is one of the oldest and most important, as it records how we, as a species, have remained basically the same, despite all our advancements.   Prehistoric rock paintings from as early as 30,000 years ago, depicting hunting expeditions and rituals. Ancient Egyptians portrayed feasting, agricultural preoccupations and dancing in tombs and in the pyramids, to ensure that even in the afterlife, the dearly departed will have a good life.   Chinese scrolls throughout millennia have illustrated the court life, the life in towns, and in the countryside. In the Philippine context, it is one of the most widely appreciated subjects.  This is the context that Michael Cacnio’s KWADRO contributes to. 

Thirty miniatures in the round sculptures, depicting the simple joys of Filipino life under the strictest and longest quarantine in the world because of COVID-19, is how Michael Cacnio introduces his series “KWADRO”. 

What makes it special is that through Kwadro, Cacnio figuratively frames the pandemic.  Two works introduce the beginning of our experience of the pandemic; from the panic buying that gripped most cities, to the hoarding of food at home, to the public feeling of great respect to our heroic frontliners, and the call to stay home to help them.  However, the majority of the works showcase how we coped and even flourished despite the pandemic.  Works which show artists making art in the solitude of their studios, and of families getting together, bonded even closer, even celebrating birthdays.  Truly, in Kwadro, Cacnio captures the Filipino spirit – greater than any crisis, founded in the strength of social ties of family and friends, simple, joyful and ever bright.  The Filipino spirit is one that shines even in the darkest of times. 

Cacnio secures these embodiments of the Filipino spirit in dark, luxurious, and rare kamagong wood; one of the toughest, rarest, and most elegant of tropical hardwoods indigenous to the Philippines.  And as the sculptures of Cacnio are eloquent in their depiction of the Filipino core with their capacity to inspire joy, the frame, is equally apt as a metaphor for the Filipino spirit too – it is naturally elegant, simple, local, enduring, and special. 

What makes Kwadro special is that it will always be tied to this historical event.  When systems fail, and most of the world worries, the Filipino is resilient, resourceful, and faces crisis with calm, courage, and most especially, with that warm spark of joy.   This is why Kwadro will endure.  This is what Cacnio adds to the already rich history of the genre.

“Kwadro” now showing at Art Lounge Manila at The Podium, Mandaluyong City from August 24 to September 08, 2020.  We are open daily from 11am to 6pm. For inquiries, please contact us at 09190821718/0286592667/0279144437 or email us at artloungemanila@gmail.com/ galeriefrancesca001@yahoo.com.ph / galeriefrancesca.mega@gmail.com

Please watch our online opening on Sunday August 30, 2020, 4pm on facebook.com/artloungemanila. You may also view the virtual exhibition and catalogue at https://bit.ly/3gmdAJn

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