Phantasm with
‘His Wanderings, Her Reveries’

A lot of bright colors have given Gallery Orange much light with “Phantasm,” the 6th solo exhibition of architect Hilario Romeo “Doods” Campos Jr., and "His Wanderings, Her Rveries", a duo exhibit by Alan Ong and Ileana Lanes.

There is a feel of phantom reality and distortion of space in Campos’ collection of 20 works in acrylic on watercolor paper and mixed media art, with sizes ranging from 8”X10” to 2x4 feet. His message is to stay curious and not to stop questioning.

“Phantasm” still holds true to the artist’s process of drawing questions he has not found answers to. He projects to the blank page images one can find in daydreams and hallucinations. He is drawn to the basic colors, crayon colors representative of the more innocent times of his youth where there is more freedom to create. Pieces like “Bagat”, “Santermo” and “Manananggal” recreate fantastical creatures of his own invention, away from existing pegs and free from the limitations of size, color and shape. His characters are without bones and realistic anatomy is not his language.

Campos is a partner in Frasso Inc., an architectural firm based in Bacolod City, and is a product of La Consolacion College-School of Architecture 2002. He is currently the vice president of Frasso Inc. Architectural Firm 2015, and a director of UAP-Bacolod Chapter. Although the practice of his profession is his day job, he finds nourishment for the artist’s soul in his art. He has had two solo exhibitions in the Negros Museum in 2010 - “Nobody Told Me” and “Invasion”, the a one-man show “The Way I See Things” in Gallery Orange in 2012, “Dingding Art Sucks” in Namit-Namit, and “Fauna and Friends” in 2014. He was in a good number of group shows in Negros and Manila, among them Drastic Measures in 371 Art Space, The Collective-Makati, The Night Nebula in Paseo Gallery-Manila, Nincompoop Various Artists in The Pocket Universe Art Collective-Makati, and the Art of Giving for Yolanda Victims at Gallery Orange, all in 2013. Also, Bangis at World Trade Center, Silipan Ringan which is a music art festival in 2009, and as the UAP-Bacolod chapter representative in the Architect-Painters exhibition in SM-Manila in 2011.

He values his roots in both Manapla and Cebu, is known to dabble in cool T-shirt design, does customized painted slip-on shoes, and has two of his works permanently displayed as Stations of the Cross at the Pope John Paul II tower.

“His Wanderings, Her Reveries”, on the other hand, is a couple’s response to the darkness that threatens to engulf the world in a milieu of violent issues. Alan Ong feels that an appreciation of the things we take for granted and Ileana Lanes’ firm belief on the presence of good in everything is their battle cry, rendered in bright hues and a pervading lightness.

There are more than 20 works of acrylic on canvas, acrylic and ink on wood planks and art drawers showing Ong’s localized characters within the bound of modern patriotism and Lanes’ magical bright and muted hues with the relaxing flow of girlish hair.

They say in their artist statement that “since the dawn of our generation’s awareness, we have been bombarded with images of chaos and violence. We often hear news of wars forged, homes destroyed and lives lost. And because of this constant barrage of information, we become too disturbed and preoccupied that we forget how to be human again. Even the best of us would feel oppressed by this growing darkness.

“But in truth, the world is not just darkness and light, neither is it black and white; rather, the world is a multitude of colors. These are the ‘in-betweens’, and through the pieces of our exhibit, we aim to bring focus to these seemingly forgotten hues. Although the world already holds a wide range of hues and tints, the best colors are those that your heart and mind create.”

“His Wanderings” is not just an aimless search for something. It is a journey to the unforeseen with an open mind to even the littlest of details. There is always something more than meets the eye. “Her Reveries” are traces of our pleasant dreams; that feeling of tranquility when we allow the musings of our minds to drift away.

Ong, 29, is a Bacolod-based artist with three years background in Hospitality Management from the University of St. La Salle, while Lanes, 27, has a degree in Fine Arts major in Advertising, from LCC. Both tried their hands at corporate jobs before they joined the art scene, and it was while working in a BPO company when they met each other. They were asked to collaborate on a concept for a bay design and that's what jumpstarted their mini projects together.

Since early 2012, they had joined group exhibits and also worked on individual painting commissions. In July 2013, they decided to come up with their first duo exhibit/two-man show at Cafe Bob's Lacson, entitled "Renditions", that showcased their individual takes on the childhood stories they grew up with.

Through the course of three years, they have both become more certain of their shared passion in painting. Alan had just recently taken the leap in letting go of his corporate job to work on being a fulltime artist, while Ileana still loves being a company recruiter and catches up with her painting at home.

“Phantasm” and “His Wanderings, Her Reveries” had pre-Valentine opening Friday and will be featured at the Gallery Orange until March 5.*