Tuesday, May 6, 2008

palimpsest

My artist friend Christina Quisumbing Ramilo was based in New York City for the longest time. But she returned to Manila two years ago to take care of her ailing mom, bury her father who passed away, and to tear down and rebuild her grandmother's old house which she had inherited.

When I visited her late last year, the house was almost done. Created from the wood of the former dwelling – combined with vintage tiles, colored glass, and other rare and recycled materials – it was quite beautiful. Old remnants came to life in an eclectic structure pieced together by Christina's passion and artistry.

But she had so much 'leftover wood and stuff' that she decided to put them to good use.

The result was 'Palimpsest' (left), an exhibit of sculptures and installations made of leftover lumber, old door knobs, metal locks, cabinet handles, used nails and rusty drain covers.

A palimpsest, figuratively speaking, is something that has been reused and altered, but still bears visible traces of its earlier form. Like the dead reincarnated, its spirit continues to live and evolve.

Below are details of her work.

(Above) Wooden scraps are resurrected as two-legged creatures.

(Above and below) Roughened relics are rearranged as skyline art.

I am happy for Christina. After losing her Dad, she has moved on – built a new home, created a new kind of art, found a new life back here in Manila.

There is life after death. My friend has proven this to be true.

'Palimpsest' will run till May 21, 2008 at the West Gallery, Level 3, SM Megamall, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Philippines.

(Top, right) Joseph Michael Lisner's 'Death' Be@rbrick comes alive. His name is Cernunnos, the god of death, who has reincarnated himself in the form of a mortal named Darrian Ashoka. His lover, Dawn, leads him to his true identity and self discovery.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Hello. What a wonderful story of your friends journey.

I'm also glad to see a new post in your blog. I had just recently discovered it and I've been waiting for more. Thanks.

P.S.
Do you have any experience with the Be@rbrick Blister Display Case? I have one on order and was wondering what you thought about them.

bearbricklove.com said...

Thanks for visiting, Todd. I know haven't been blogging as often as before but I hope to change that...

I've never bought a blister display case but I suppose it's a practical/convenient way to show off your collection. At least they won't get dirty easily. :-)

Ana Cristina said...

Hi, it's a quite nice and interesting blog! Congratulations!
Regards from Portugal

Erueti Brown said...

Ahoy Bearbrick Lover!
I'm not sure if you moderated my comments out for some reason or if you had problems receiving them, but I've been trying for a while now. Just wondering if you might be in a position to clarify two things for me..

1. Is this the 1st exciting glimpse from the upcoming series?

2.  Is Kaeruotoko Shokai (fingers crossed) really the featured Artist for series 16?

Anyway thanks again for any insight you may have, Be@rbrick Love is still one of my favourite blogs! 

bearbricklove.com said...

Hi, Ana!

Thanks for your compliments! Welcome to Bearbrick Love! :-)

bearbricklove.com said...

Hi Erueti!

From what I know, you've commented on my blog only once before('A Bloody Feast' entry) and I did answer your question about the Mark Parker Bearbrick. :-)

1. Yes, the Toybeast article was the first I've read about Series 16. Frankly, I'm not too excited about the designs, except the one with the alligator pattern.

2. According to Toybeast, the Artist Bearbricks are by Kaeruotoko Shokai (the company behind of The Frogman Show cartoons)and DJ Ozama (a Japanese pop singer). Toybeast is a reliable source, yes!

Don't hesistate to comment, Erueti, Truth is, I don't edit out readers' reactions. :-)

Anonymous said...

Hello hello. I haven't been by in ages. I hope you're gearing up for a great summer. I'm looking forward to catching up on everything I've missed over the past two months. The Taipei Toy Festival is coming up at the beginning of July and it's going to be one of the highlights of my summer!

This is a wonderful blog about your friend. I love her new creative outlet.

bearbricklove.com said...

Nice to see you back, Carrie, I certainly missed you! Do tell me about the Taipei Toy Festival when it happens – I will want to read about it in your blog. :-)