Benjie Cabangis
“New Paintings and a Selection of Small Collages”
Mag:net Gallery ABS
Opening: 7PM , Tuesday, 17 January

Benjie Cabangis presents his new abstract paintings and collages at his 19th solo exhibition titled “New Paintings and a Selection of Small Collages” at Mag:net Gallery ABS, The Loop ELJ Communications Center ABS-CBN Compound Eugenio Lopez Jr Street Quezon City on
January 17, 2006.

Cabangis’ new abstract paintings and collages are a continuing reflection of a sense of loss, recollection and the passing of time, which brings the viewer to a world that is both contemplative and serene. His works constantly echo references to art history from different places and time. Within each of the works, there is an engaging juxtaposition of bright colors and quiet thoughts coupled with transparencies, translucencies and patterns – inviting the viewer into decoding the allusions behind the visual, and how the marks on a pictorial plane may also be viewed as an imprint of the past.

Through the years, Cabangis has used collages as a parallel way of expression. While they have informed and transformed his large-scale paintings, his collages stand on their own in providing an in-depth look at his creative process. Many of the ideas and sentiments expressed in his paintings are reflected in his collages. The paper’s surface speaks of recollection and the essence of form, color, and process, without relying entirely on literary imagery.

“Collage, by its very nature, is an ideal vehicle for conveying some of the ideas I revisit. The major consideration in my collage is given not only to the marriage of differences, but also to the formal play of visual elements and their correspondences. With collage, layering, fragmenting and re-constructing become a potent means of relating the passing of time or the act of recollecting. Juxtaposing not only colors and shapes, but also computer processed images from disparate sources enables me to convey a sense of reminiscence and history into visual form.”

Cabangis has continually explored the dynamics between old and new, between past and present. His previous works include non-representational interplay of color and surface textures, and explorations combining manual and digitally processed imageries, to name a few.

Cabangis is both a practicing artist and art educator. He teaches painting at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, Department of Studio Arts, and was its chairperson from 1987 to 1998. In 2000, he was conferred the UP Gawad Chancellor as the University’s Most Outstanding Visual Artist. A Thirteen Artists’ Awardee of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1978, he has held eighteen solo exhibitions in the Philippines and in New York, and has participated in a number of group and joint exhibitions in Korea, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.

On December 1, 2005, the UP Diliman Foundation, Inc. (UPDFI) conferred on Cabangis the Ang Ping Professorial Chair in recognition of his outstanding achievements in teaching, intellectual productivity, and service to the University and the larger community.

Cabangis’ latest show will have opening cocktails on January 17 at 7:00 in the evening.To be curated by Nestor Vinluan, the show runs until the end of the month. For inquiries, please contact Jhennie or Shey at 410-09-95 or email magnetcafekatips@yahoo.com.ph