ABOUT THE WORK

Kidapawan-born visual artist Emmanuel Garibay, a major name in the Philippine art scene, masterfully tackles powerlessness and restlessness as well as hope for freedom from any form of human oppression in his art. He views art as a force that brings insight and changed behavior, shaping one’s conscience. Narrative and often parable-like, the evocative images on his works explore human nature and spirituality. The arresting, powerful presence of his radically rendered figures, just like the man in this work, furthermore reveals his unique figurative expressionist aesthetic as a visual storyteller. A former sociology student before pursuing fine arts in UP Diliman, Garibay appreciates the perspectives of human life and cultural and social concepts the course taught him that also reflect in his works. A sense of humanity is observed in his avant-garde depictions of human character and form.