SINGAPORE 01 October 2018 – The 12th installment of Art Trek—the centrepiece of the cultural diplomacy program of the Philippine Embassy in Singapore—officially kicked off on 25 September 2018 with the back-to-back exhibition of Filipino artists Abigail Dionisio and Joel ‘Welbart’ Bartolome entitled “Travel Light” at the One East Asia Gallery.
“Leveraging on Singapore’s status as one of the art capitals of Asia, Art Trek enables the Embassy to bring to Singapore the Filipino artists while promoting stronger people-to-people links and better understanding and appreciation of the Philippines through the arts,” Ambassador to Singapore Joseph Del Mar Yap said.
Both Ms. Dionisio and Mr. Bartolome are multi-awarded art practitioners from Bulacan and Pampanga, respectively, with successful solo exhibitions to their names.
After finishing her bachelor’s degree in advertising arts from Bulacan State University in 2009, Ms. Dionisio won the grand prize that same year in the painting category of the annual art competition of the Art Association of the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Mr. Bartolome managed to pursue a prolific career as an artist, despite his coming from a totally unrelated academic background, which is nursing. He has showcased his work in both solo and group exhibitions in the Philippines and New York. He has received accolades, most notably the grand prize in the 57th AAP Annual Art Competition in 2004.
The two artists recently participated in the group exhibition Perceptions of Humanity by One East Asia held at START, Saatchi Gallery in London on 13-16 September 2018.
The couple’s engagement early this year was the inspiration for their exhibition. The common feature in their hyper-realistic oil paintings is their use of sailboats and hot air balloons to represent their voyage together as a couple.
The boat’s connection to the water represents femininity and motherhood, while the hot air balloons are associated with their aspirations, social elevation, popularity or fame.
“Tonight, love and creativity will conquer all in this gallery… May you ‘travel light’ with your life journey together,” Ambassador Yap told the artist-couple.
One East Asia is a Singapore-based art management organization founded in April 2010. It is dedicated to enriching the appreciation of Southeast Asian art globally through exhibitions mainly in Singapore and London.
Nine more exhibitions in 8 art galleries will be featured in the upcoming weeks for Art Trek 12.
–
For more information, visit www.singaporepe.dfa.gov.ph / www.philippine-embassy.org.sg or https://www.facebook.com/PHinSingapore.
