PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF A DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN

ABOUT THE WORK

Mark Justiniani is undoubtedly the country’s foremost Magic Realist artist working today. But this is not because his style hinges on blissful escapism, but because of Justiniani’s unique ability to synthesize both the social and magical aspects of his work into a seamless and alluring piece. The strength of Justiniani’s artistry is that though his paintings are snapshots of magic, they delve into the wrinkles of the social fabric, examining issues of belongingness, identity, and history. After returning from the United States in 2006, social realist Justiniani evidently developed his oeuvre through “magic realist strains” and moved to the nature of vision and their balanced relationship with time through the use of reflective media. This practice made his name more pronounced in the industry which paved the way for him to represent the Philippines in exhibitions and conferences overseas. In this piece Shower, we see a rare glimpse at Justiniani’s unapologetically darker side. The first figure we are drawn to is positioned at the piece’s center. Her eyes signify that she is deep in thought while the cigarette suggests an aura of routine disparity surrounding the space. Next to her by the work’s background is a male figure. In contrast to the central figure’s confident and uninterested disposition, the male figure showcases a more unsure and timid stance and facial expression, suggesting that he isn’t comfortable with the implied context of the situation. The space surrounding the two figures are drab and dreary, further solidifying the implied context of the piece. Justiniani’s work seemingly references the early works of acclaimed Filipino auteurs Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal. Justiniani adds a sense of Magical Realism to this seemingly Neo-Realist piece by emphasizing both the door and the arrow above them. The work solidifies Justiniani as an unparalleled chronicler of the Filipino condition.