“Calle Nueva” by James Gabito at Galleria Nicolas
Show runs June 15 to 27 By Grace NgFor “Calle Nueva”, Old Manila’s familiar streets and establishments caught James Gabito’s attention for creative composition. As an artist, Gabito has always recognized the beauty, meaning and excitement inherent in everyday people and events. For the artist, art is in a sense a catalyst for thought; it freezes a moment, idea, or feeling, and allows a form of proximity to situations and events-- it allows the viewers to carry the moment with them.
The exhibit is motivated by the idea of a contemporary nostalgia. It is the artist’s expression of longing for harmony and normalcy, born more of an apprehension of an uncertain future than a sentimental desire for a past. From this perspective, nostalgia is to desire a more contained and controllable sense of the surroundings.
For this thematic series, Gabito draws inspiration directly from outdoor scenery, combined with ideas and concepts of memory and nostalgia, which he transforms into visual compositions. Gabito arranges his visual elements in a way that builds an implied narrative about a place. They stand as discrete, momentary records of intersectional places. The artist describes the scenes as “slices of life”, serving as moments and spaces we experience yet disregard in the course of any day, because they seem marginal to our notions of who we are and what we do.
James Gabito, a Baguio-based artist, 2015 GSIS honorable mention and 2015 MADE finalist, paints archetypes of the mountain province culture attesting to the region's unspoiled vibrant way of living. Gabito assembles these images with a sense of artisanal intricacy and rawness to his subjects. Gabito's interpretation stems from his perspective of change in practice, such as that from weaving or planting rice.
"Calle Nueva" by James Gabito will be on view simultaneously at Galleria Nicolas Glorietta and Ayala Malls Manila Bay from June 15 to 27, 2021. The Galleries are located at the 3/F Art Space, Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Makati City and at 2/F, Filipino Village, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Diosdado Macapagal Blvd, Parañaque, respectively. For inquiries, contact +63 917 643 6282, email gallerianicolasbayarea@gmail.com or +63 2 8 625 0273, +63 917 534 3942, email info@gallerianicolas.com.
