Resty Tica explores persistence and resolve in his latest exhibit ‘Fresh Start’
Layout design by PINGGOT ZULUETA
New beginnings are the gift of every new year, a chance to reinvent oneself, create new habits, and leave things that hold one down in the past and move on. That is what visual artist Resty Tica is doing as he starts 2022 on a positive note with his fifth solo exhibit.
Dubbed “Fresh Start,” the exhibit is a showcase of hopeful beginnings in the face of a pandemic that as yet shows no signs of coming to an end. Playing with the concept of genesis and emergence, his abstract works are invitations to the brighter side of things through rainbow-colored glasses, even in the darkness we have been through these past years.
“Puwede nating tingnan ang nakaraang pangyayari bilang aral at gabay para sa bagong simulain at obserbahan kung ano ba ang epekto at magiging epekto nito sa ating mga hangarin na magsimula o baguhin ang dating gawi at paniniwala (We could look at the past as a lesson or guide in building anew and observe its effects and future impact in our journey to start again, or in changing old ways and beliefs),” says Resty.
To realize his optimistic visions and share his story, the artist looked closely into his own past. He began drawing at the tender age of seven, and three years later, he learned how to use acrylic on his canvas. He then honed his artistic skills by doing editorial cartoons in high school, silkscreen prints as a side hustle, and more painting on his days as a fine arts student at the Technological University of the Philippines (TUP). It was through great Filipino artists like Vicente Manansala, Ang Kiukok, Anita Magsaysay-Ho, Jose Joya, Botong Francisco, and more that Resty got inspired to become an artist. In his childhood years, he admired and studied the works of these artists through books and museum visits.
In “Fresh Start,” Resty presents his mastery of acrylic, creating pieces with vivid tones applied by brush and palette knife, disrupting a grayish-white background. “Unique experience siya, kasi para kang naglalaro at nag-eenjoy at the same time (It is a unique experience because it feels as though you’re playing and enjoying at the same time),” he says about his process. The statement is true even for the viewer of his artworks.
His favorite piece, Morning Has Broken, encapsulates his inspiration, reminding him of the feeling of a calm morning spent with a brewed cup of coffee while having a solemn moment with the divine. His Spectrum pieces are a joyful with their explosion of colors while The Darker The Night, The Brighter The Stars stands out with the contrasting choice of hues that blend into harmony producing one gentle, hopeful sight.
“Nakabase ang mga tema ko sa mga pangyayari, karanasan, at kasalukuyang estado. Masayang i-document ang isang pangyayari sa pamamagitan ng visual art. Parang ‘preservation of time’ (My theme is based on happenings, experiences, and current events. It is fun to document a moment through visual art. It is like the ‘preservation of time’),” Resty muses.
Treating his works as a visual diary, he will continue to present stories of persistence and resolve as he carries on mixing hues and media in his works to showcase different possibilities. With “Fresh Start,” he aims to depict a collective tale of the human spirit and offer a prismatic glimpse of what lies after dawn.
‘Art is a statement of an artist’s state. It is a manifestation of an artist’s condition.’
“Art is a statement of an artist’s state. It is a manifestation of an artist’s condition,” says Resty. “My goal is to translate my ideas into visuals, to try various techniques and make my style pure and solid. I don’t know what the future holds but this is the only thing I am sure of… whether I have a show or not, I’ll continue to paint.”
“Fresh Start” runs until Jan. 31, 2022, at Renaissance Art Gallery at SM Megamall.