ASPIRING ARTISTS are often told that they must attend art school and spend their family’s fortune in order to be successful in the art world. But the brains behind Transwing Art Gallery believe otherwise; young artists can be the next Leonardo Da Vinci or Vincent Van Gogh regardless of whether they are Fine Arts students or self-taught.
For instance, Visual Communication major Ariel Enriquez is a devoted artist who channels the Philippine culture with his works about nature, functional art, and run-off-the-mill scenes of the lives of Filipinos. He will compete in the Celeste Prize—a prestigious international art prize for visual artists—and the gallery will cover all his expenses.
“[T]henceforth, established and emerging artists—regardless of financial and educational background and chosen medium—would receive unwavering support from the gallery,” Klaus Hartung, owner of Transwing Art Gallery, said in his speech at the showroom’s grand opening last June 25.
The gallery offers a platform for all kinds of deserving artists through their exhibits. On June 27, it unveiled a group exhibit titled Generation Millennial at German Club Manila.
The Generation Millennial exhibit wakes the sense of patriotism long kept in the hearts of Filipinos. The pieces, inspired by the Filipino culture and tradition, showcase the nation’s unique identity through visual arts. Behind the exhibit are young, talented, and passion-driven artists who inspire their fellow youth to celebrate art.
Wendi Patoc is a living testament to that. His painting, Respecting the Elders, is an image of two kids giving respect to the elderly woman through ‘pagmamano.’ All of his paintings, including Waves in Blue and Blooming Series, are monochromatic reflections of portraits on distorted water ripples.
Meanwhile, Dennis Morante, a Fine Arts major, splattered the colors red, blue, and yellow, in his abstract work titled Kanlungan ng mga Pilipino, to represent the spirit of the country’s flag.
Transwing Art Gallery is located along West Avenue, Quezon City. It is open from Mondays to Fridays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Meanwhile, the Generation Millennial exhibit was unveiled at the German Club Manila, Legazpi Village, Makati. The exhibit runs until July 31. F AARON THOMAS L. DE GUIA
Correction: Wendi Patoc is a HE. And he is not an Education major but a Painting major. He is currently a second year Bachelor of Fine Arts student, major in Painting at Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST) Manila. He is my student.