ABOUT THE WORK

Domestic objects, for contemporary artist Max Balatbat, do not only provide a collective definition of home or community, but also evoke a sense of nostalgia with the layer-upon-layer of memories attached to these things that make up the physical space. Balatbat’s unique visual language is marked by thick textures and colors apparent in his collage-like abstractions. These textures are evocative of the aesthetics often found in urban sprawls and centers. Thus, Balatbat’s works are often seen as part autobiographical, given that Balatbat himself grew up in the heart of these metropolitan areas, and geographical, since his approach seemingly relates to the viewer a shared experience. Lutang na Palasyo is one of his evocative abstract works in which design elements such as structure are balanced with emotion and mood. He reconstructs elements of memory reimagined to further reveal the essence of a local domestic space with attention to conceptual details attached to identity and memory. Balatbat calls his signature style “architectural abstraction.” Some of the architectural details re-appropriated in his works range from wallpapers to maps and floor plans. Abstract patterns of shapes and colors are mapped out in geometric landscapes, all in patchwork-like overall composition. An architect’s son and also once an architecture major, he is a recipient of the prestigious II Lorenzo Magnifico Award at the Florence Biennale in Italy. (J.D.)