PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF A DISTINGUISHED COUPLE

ABOUT THE WORK

The meticulously stylized hyperrealism paintings of contemporary visual artist Joven Mansit are more than unique or quirky aestheticizations of our colonial past, but contemporary critiques to the way we view our own history, culture, and identity. Mansit collages stemmed from the artist’s oversaturated encounters with unapologetically Filipino-themed paintings of the 90s. These paintings were often filled with idyllic images, from beautiful rural landscapes to austere locals garbed in traditional attire. For Mansit, despite the focus on local and traditional themes, these pieces often present history and culture as a one-sided whole, obfuscating the complexities and nuances that make up its reality. Thus, Mansit’s works approach tradition through a different lens. His pieces, though palpably historical, do not contain any trace of nostalgia. Instead, his works are imbued with irreverent humor and irony, granting him the ability to tackle new and novel possibilities without risking dogmatism. Mansit’s works reveals the emancipatory potential of culture that respects its past, but urges the creation of new paths as well.