The artist unearths his unexhibited works in ‘Out of the Woods’
For multi-media visual artist RossCapili, there is a right time for everything. When the world was put to a stop due to lockdown two years ago, his paintbrush kept going. Two years later, he was able to produce almost 50 art works from paintings on big canvases to sketches, now on display for National Arts Month at LRI Design Plaza.
Aptly titled “Out of the Woods,” the fruits of RossCapili’s labor are finally out in the sun.
“When lockdown restrictions started, everything was uncertain. There was nothing I could do but stay inside the house and turn to my brush. It was two years of non-stop painting. I went all out with this exhibit. I let myself be free, day in and day out. ‘Out of the Woods’ became a symbol of my journey out of a forest, emerging into the sun. It gives me a sense of fulfillment that after holding out to these works for two years, they are finally out of the woods,” he muses.
Since his first solo exhibit in 1981, RossCapili has mounted solo shows not just in Manila but in other countries such as Paris and the US. But in every exhibit he does, it is the unfolding of each artwork’s story that he loves the most.
“I am a narrative painter. I believe in ‘narrative art-making,’ in art that tells a story, either as a moment in an ongoing story or as a sequence of events unfolding over time. Having an exhibit for me is not a ‘must’ that I should do often. I have to have something to show—a new experience, a discovery. Ayaw kong paulit-ulit lang (I don’t like repeating myself). My previous works always challenge me to add something new to my work, to have a new experience. With this approach as a narrative painter, I believe I achieve my purpose in life,” says Ross.
His New Earth series showcases the beauty of nature—the pink sunrise, the blue sky, the glowing moon, and the verdant sunrise. The horizontal panoramic scape Out of the Clouds is nature in its magnificent splendor, the promise of a new day, of new hope. Most of his paintings are created from happy accidents.
‘I am a narrative painter. I believe in ‘narrative art-making,’ in art that tells a story, either as a moment in an ongoing story or as a sequence of events unfolding over time.’
“Whenever I create an artwork, it always starts with imagining and conceptualizing. And then while creating my concept, I go through a process of discovering, and during that journey may mga hindi inaasahang disgrasya sa outcome ng pintura (sometimes there are unexpected accidental outcomes). It turns into layers of paint that turn into something beautiful outcome,” he says.
RossCapili makes a record of his discoveries and adventures in various mediums. “With broad brushstrokes, my works can be called ‘contemporary abstract.’ But for me it’s an ‘abstract narrative’ because it tells my recorded day-to-day experience as an artist. I love to experiment and use various materials and medium like paint, resin, metal, and many more to create my masterpieces and turn them into a beautiful mess,” he ends.
“Out of the Woods” is on view until March 22 at LRI Design Plaza: 210 Nicanor Garcia St. Bel Air II, Makati City.