EUPHORIA
Featuring new works of young contemporary artist
ALLAN JAY BALISI
March 16 to 23, 2008
Art Space, Royal Plaza on Scotts
SINGAPORE
Whimsy is the one word that often comes up when the art of Filipino painter Allan Jay Balisi is being discussed. Best known for his winning piece, The Family, at the 17th PLDT-DPC Visual Arts Competition in 2003, his bright colors and fanciful figures easily captured the imagination of the viewers.
He counts the Singaporean art market among those who were captivated by his art. His past exhibitions have drawn audiences into his colorful world where children slide on rainbows and grown-ups sit comfortably on fluffy, white clouds. Balisi returns to Singapore from March 16 to 23, 2008 where he will be exhibiting new works in his 1st Solo Exhibition in Singapore organized by www.ArtSentralAsia.com at the Art Space of Royal Plaza on Scotts on Scotts Road.
Though his works may favor the characteristic whimsical style of a child's drawing, Balisi's art is far from trivial. His works reflect a world that was created with much thought and consideration. His buildings – tall and strong structures – are almost fortress-like. Though painted in light blues, vivid reds, and sunshine yellows, they provide strong and secure shelter for its occupants.
EuphoriaOil on Canvas
36×48 inches / 3×4 feet
2008
Now the day is overOil on Canvas
36×48 inches / 3×4 feet
2008
Into the TreehouseOil on Canvas
36×48 inches / 3×4 feet
2008
Friday Carnival FairOil on Canvas
36×48 inches / 3×4 feet
2008
Hey! It's a Beautiful Day!Oil on Canvas
36×48 inches / 3×4 feet
2008
Love among the SkyOil on Canvas
36×48 inches / 3×4 feet
2008
Forever Violet Skies!Oil on Canvas
36×48 inches / 3×4 feet
2008
Fairest of the SeasonOil on Canvas
36×48 inches / 3×4 feet
2008
LighthouseOil on Canvas
36×48 inches / 3×4 feet
2008
Island in the SkiesOil on Canvas
36×48 inches / 3×4 feet
2008
All structures are linked either by wooden bridges or rainbow slides, and sometimes, even by clouds which reinforce the belief in community and the strength of the kinship of family. And in this world, all grown-ups appear to look after all the young. Whether the child is theirs or another's is irrelevant. The responsibility of bringing up a child is shouldered by the whole community.
Admittedly, his colors are what viewers find immediately attractive. Balisi has the gift for combining varied colors. But more importantly, he is able to paint similar shades along side each other and still make each one pop without overwhelming the others. The backdrop is often an unexpectedly bright hue painted in graduating tones which allows the other elements of his images to shine.
Though his recent exhibitions in Manila have taken a more serious flavor, his works continue to exhibit this self-contained quality. Neighborhood, his last show, was inspired by A Song on the End of the World, a poem by Nobel laureate Czeslaw Milosz. Though darker and seemingly more desolate, his works did not lose that child-like approach and his tendency towards the creation of a self-contained world.
A graduate of Fine Arts major in Advertising from the Far Eastern University, Balisi has been recognized in most of the major art awards in the Philippines. He has been a finalist in the Metrobank Art Wards, the Maningning Miclat Art Awards, and the Nokia Art Awards among many others.
“EUPHORIA,” Allan Jay Balisi's 1st Solo Exhibition in Singapore is brought to you by www.ArtSentralAsia.com and supported by PSA International, Larasati Auctioneers, Unilever Asia, www.GoodNewsPilipinas.com, Asian Art News and the Charlton Media Group. For more info log on to www.ArtSentralAsia.com, email us at artsentralasia@yahoo.com or call us at +65 97344839.
