A large solo exhibition that explores the themes of family, belongings and home by award-winning Philippine artist Marina Cruz opened in Taipei yesterday as the Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts reopened after being shut for 10 weeks.
The Tide Table exhibition, a look back over 20 years of her work, highlights Cruz’s poignant relationship with her childhood home in Bulacan province, about 24km north of Manila, the museum said.
The 94 works on display at the Kuandu Museum include paintings on canvas, fabric collages, laminated photographs and embroidery from Cruz’s contemporary art platform, the Mind Set Art Center, one of the exhibition’s organizers.
People wait to see Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara’s free exhibition at the Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts in Taipei in March.Photo courtesy of the GACC
Cruz developed a deep connection with the historical objects in her family home, where her maternal grandmother also lived, the art center said.
Known for her photorealistic paintings of vintage clothes, Cruz’s work highlights the folds, creases, patterns and stitching in the fabric of vintage dresses.
Her works depict handmade clothes, sewn by her family, and record the details of their residence, which is part of her personal history, the art center said.
In a prerecorded video, the Philippine artist said that she works with mundane objects, such as clothes, because she thinks that they provide insights into the frailties, beauty and vulnerabilities of humans.
“I hope people who see the works will ponder on the idea of what a home is, or examine the belongings that we have, and the idea of being able to belong to a family or to someone,” she said.
“Tide Table” is a reference to a calendar that marks high tides, which frequently cause flooding in her village, Cruz said.
“The flooding doesn’t come unannounced. It comes at an expected time,” she said. “We just look at the table on the calendar, and we know what time and how high the flood will be. It’s all there.”
Born in 1982, Cruz graduated with distinction from the University of the Philippines.
In 2012, she was named an Artist Awardee, one of 13, by the Cultural Center of the Philippines. She has also won the Grand Prize at the Philippine Art Awards, as well as a Philip Morris Award.
Her solo exhibition in Taipei, scheduled to run until Oct. 17, is curated by Patrick Flores, who is to be chief curator for Taiwan at the Venice Biennale next year.
To comply with disease prevention measures, which limit indoor gatherings to 50 people, online appointments are required to visit the Kuandu Museum.
The museum, which had been closed since May, when a national level 3 COVID-19 alert was implemented, reopened to the public yesterday as the alert was lowered to level 2.
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