ABOUT THE WORK

Music has always been a guiding force for visual artist Edwin Wilwayco. Thus, upon viewing his works, one cannot help but compare the gestural strokes and flourishes to the rhythmic pattern of a musical scale, or the concise movements of an adept orchestra conductor. In this triptych entitled Gaudeamus, Wilwayco draws inspiration from the work’s namesake. The Gaudeamus is a 13th-century Latin song that celebrates the joys of youth from the perspective of those who have lost it. Often performed in schools, universities, and other institutions of learning, the song’s moral is often interpreted as one that suggests we must take advantage of the fleeting moments of our youth. One can clearly see how Wilwayco perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the piece through his energetic strokes and dynamic gestures. His predominant use of warm to vibrant shades of orange and red endows the piece with a fiery aura that captures the tirelessness of a youth spirit. Though, much like the Latin hymn, Wilwayco understands that all good things must come to an end, hence his inclusion of dark patches around the canvas, symbolising the inevitability of time and the temporality of the soul. Though dour, Wilwayco’s piece is a hopeful one. In his triptych, Wilwayco encourages everyone to live one’s best life; a message that can be encapsulated in another Latin term: carpe diem.