PETAL KINGDOMS
ARTIST RECEPTION: JUNE 3, 2023 | 4:00PM
EXHIBIT DURATION: JUNE 3 - 17, 2023
UNIT 2, RETAIL BLOCK 2, UNIT 2, RETAIL BLOCK 2, AZUELA COVE LANANG, DAVAO CITY AZUELA COVE LANANG, DAVAO CITY
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Layout Design: Andrea Leyson
Galerie Raphael Davao, in cooperation with Alveo Land Davao, presents the multifaceted talents of visual artist Jomike Tejido in his 19th solo exhibition, “Petal Kingdoms”. The collection presents a regal garden of abundant life, juxtaposing concepts of botany and royalty – serving as a nod to his renowned imaginative abstraction.
Tejido’s approach to this exhibit transpired when he examined a fallen bell-shaped flower bud, imagining it as a queen’s royal gown. “It looked very much like a dress in the process of being tailored, complete with an underlying corset,” the artist explains. Exploring this idea, he creates a world inspired by flowers, giving many highlights to the translucent hues and faint colorations of their petals. “My imagination soared exponentially with this small imagery of how there might be a secret kingdom of fairy-like beings, unseen by the human eye. And it is from this idea that different kingdoms based on their flower allegiances can be formed,” says Tejido
Coining the concept as “Petal Kingdoms”, his abstract illustrations portray the different colors and saturations of flower petals, with each piece given a regal title. We see these in pieces such as “The Stargazer Supremacy”, painted in bold and bright spectrums of purple and yellow, contrasted by the dreamy, fairy-like aura that exudes in “The Princess of the Petal Kingdom” and “The Azalea Aristocrat”.
Further, he names his centerpieces “The King and Queen of the Petal Kingdom”, the rulers of all flowers, implying themes of equality, fairness and peace. His contemporary vision provides a strong symbolism of monarchy in the real world – of how there is peace and order in how monarchs rule their society. “The mental exercise of working on an exhibit theme is just like putting on my other hat as a children’s book author and illustrator,” the artist mentions.
With these in mind, the exhibit is a perfect example of how abstraction can go beyond the common and traditional. In this case, Tejido merges ideas and concepts of fairy tales, societal relations, and even fundamentals of architecture in order to vividly express his imagination.
“Petal Kingdoms” is a wonderful plethora of intrinsic beauty inspired by real-world concepts, stemming from a fallen flower and exponentially ascending to a kingdom of floral fantasy
The Queen of Petal Kingdom
48 x 36
Acrylic and Oil on Canvas
The King of Petal Kingdom 48 x 36
Acrylic and Oil on Canvas
The Stargazer Supremacy 48 x 36
Acrylic and Oil on Canvas
The Delphinium Dynasty 48 x 36
Acrylic and Oil on Canvas
The Prince of the Petal Kingdom
24 x 48
Acrylic and Oil on Canvas
The Princess of the Petal Kingdom
24 x 48
Acrylic and Oil on Canvas
The Majestic Moonflower
24 x 24
Acrylic and Oil on Canvas
The Sunflower Stronghold 24 x 24
Acrylic and Oil on Canvas
The Azalea Aristocrat 24 x 24
Acrylic and Oil on Canvas
University of Santo Tomas in 2005 Tejido has had solo exhibitions from various galleries around the metro since 2007, and has participated in group exhibitions since 2005. Tejido won awards from major institutions such as the Shell National Students Art Competition (Finalist, 2001-2002), Maningning Miclat Painting Competition (Finalist, 2006), NCCA (Travel Grant to Tokyo, Japan Recipient), AAP Semi-Annual Abstract Art Competition (Finalist, 2007), and the latest from Philippine Art Awards (2020, Shortlisted, Sculpture Category).
Empathy lies at the core of Tejido’s art practice, expressed in his concern for, and nurture of, the fragile objects and creatures depicted in the artworks. It also reflects the artist’s desire that we – as viewers, and human beings sharing the planet with other species – identify with and care for them as well In this regard, Jomike Tejido’s works speak to essential questions around reciprocity, understanding, and coexistence: the fundamentals of survival and growth in a perilous age.
