Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot

Exhibited: Yavuz Gallery, Above Sea Level, Singapore, 26 August - 16 September 2018

ABOUT THE WORK

Ronson Culibrina interjects humor and wit into his almost apocalyptic depictions of coastal towns. Spending his formative years on the island of Talim, Rizal, Culibrina’s figurative paintings touch upon the rapid deterioration of nature mixed in with pops of humor and surrealism that make his work a visual masterpiece. Salva-vida, literally translating to “save lives”, follows a similar storyline. In a Culibrina usual, the massive canvas is overflowing with details with some elements bearing that surrealist surprise. For example, some men wore hazmat suits as they forage through the waste, suggesting that the garbage is hazardous in some way. A massive Venus fly trap emerges from the waters, an unnervingly long tongue lolled out and more importantly, there are heaps of garbage and waste everywhere one looks – on the boat, in the water, and even in the air. “I saw how my hometown transformed from a quiet, fishing town into a busy urban area — and it fueled my fascination with the clash between tradition and modernity, which I explore a lot in my art,” Culibrina states in a Philstar interview. “The site, sights, and people also made their way into my art, so my formative years in my hometown still play a crucial role in my artistic process.” As such, Salva-vida pins onto its canvas Culibrina’s fascination with modernity and its consequences. The visage of his hometown (and the oil spills that happen within its waters) is immortalized in his oeuvre, a cohesive chaos that effectively portrays the urgency one must take when addressing nature’s distress calls. (Hannah Valiente)