Miyamoto Musashi, a Japanese warrior and philosopher, once said, "Fixation is the way to death. Fluidity is the way to life." That's still true in today's time. For many, stagnation is not part of their nature. While one may find stability and calmness by staying still, it doesn't provide much growth, making the sense of fluidity important in one's life. These days, fluidity spans across many fields and has various meanings.
Putting a spotlight on this are Filipino artists, Ian Inoy and Lara Latosa, with their exhibit aptly titled "Fluidity." The two explore what it means to flow freely and the beauty of being in an unsettled state. According to them, there are plenty of ways to express one’s fluidity in whatever discipline one chooses. The main idea for it is to be able to break free from social structures created to box ideas. When doing this, the ability to elaborate your identity is hindered and trapped.
The theme binds together the works of the artists, which are hailed from different inspirations. As a gender-fluid artist, Ian defines fluidity as breaking out of shell, where "different elements interact with each other which then extend outwards creating an illusion of spreading and reaching out to the space around."
His process is greatly affected by what he feels around him, particularly music. This makes his artworks, titled with iconic songs like "Born This Way," "I Will Survive," "It's Raining Men," a true visual experience filled with color and energy.
"The songs chosen were the sounds I was listening to while doing these works," Ian says. "Basically, these works are releases of emotions felt throughout the songs."
On the other hand, Lara’s interpretation of fluidity is expressed through the movement of her abstracted imagery of waves and how it interacts with its surroundings. Depicted in her works is water in motion, mimicking the moods of the ocean, from the calmness of the sea to the depths of the water beneath them and then the roaring waves crashing through each other.
The artist channeled her pre-pandemic travels to the canvas with her signature style that uses texture and flow to give off a constant sense of dance-like movement to her waves. Water droplets are also evident in all her works, playing with both figurative and abstraction style.
"Most of us miss the ocean," Lara says. "I stopped traveling for over a year. But it helps that my artworks somehow bring that playful ocean vibe at home. You know, like that sound when you hear waves crashing."
"Fluidity" will be up for viewing starting June 20, 2021 at Nuzen Art Gallery in Tagaytay City.