The stage is set.

Multi-awarded artist Melvin Guirhem of Iloilo would stitch together his personal experiences on canvases, but for Art Fair Philippines 2022 his works went beyond the familiarities of his personal life and evolved into a collective study of the Filipino social fabric. 

Melvin’s eighth solo exhibition “Entablado” (Stage) explores the varied roles relationships play in Philippine society. 

“We are in a theater show.  Each character has an important role, whether building a better society or destroying it,” says Melvin. 

“Entablado” takes off from Melvin’s seventh solo exhibition at Alfredo Esquillo’s Eskinita Art Gallery last year.  The six new works in “Entablado” are a continuum of the six-by-eight-foot fabric piece with the same name from the “Salimu-ot” (Complex) exhibition from 2021, which depicted how he and his wife overcame the social forces that wanted to keep them apart.

Melvin dissected the Filipino social strata in “Entablado” with the carefully crafted fabrics he cut and sewed together in each of the pieces. The stage served as a window into the dynamics of the Filipino societal relationships.

The colorful, striking pieces in “Entablado” juxtaposed the complexities and burdens of the powerful and the powerless, the haves and have nots, or the righteous and the unrighteous. 

The six-by-eight-foot Inpluwensyador (Influencer) encapsulated Melvin’s “Entablado” exhibition as the recipient of this year’s Karen H. Montinola Selection, the grant named after the late art patron and one of the special projects of the Art Fair Philippines with the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI). 

Inpluwensyador visualizes the influence of those in power—politicians, religious leaders, business magnates, or even social media—on the common tao. The subliminal angel and devil connote that the masses have to make a choice, to follow the good or follow the evil.

In Tigbatas, Melvin gives justice to the martyrs, the nameless and the faceless who make sacrifices either for the betterment of their families or society in general. 

In Sakdag, Melvin pays homage to survivors of crisis mostly through faith as symbolized by the cross. 

In Hutik Sang Manog Giha, Melvin emphasizes the role of elders and how the young should listen to their wisdom to avoid the same mistakes the elders had made in the past. 

Melvin plays up the personal in Sa-ot (Dance), which highlights the search for long, fruitful partnerships despite differences or misunderstandings as they serve as a support system. 

Usog sa Kalayo may be another piece where Melvin injects the personal into the social by addressing the destruction that pride or ego brings while knowing how to break free from it and find peace or closure.

‘We are in a theater show. Each character has an important role, whether building a better society or destroying it.’

In a way, “Entablado” serves as a mirror for Melvin and how his art is molded by society and how art can be used by society. 

“I am who I am based on what I’ve seen and experienced in society,” says the artist in his early 40s.  “As an artist, we have the obligation.  We can visualize the harsh realities of life.  At the same time, people can learn from us as much as we can learn from them.” 

Melvin is a firm believer that artists must be socially responsible and their art must connect with their actions in real life. 

This is no surprise as social responsibility is one of the core values of Baysulangpu Artists Society, an art group Melvin co-founded in Iloilo in the early 2000s. 

Melvin similarly espouses social responsibility as one of the senior advisers of Oton Visual Artist League (OVAL), an art group in Oton.

Paintbrush to fabrics

Melvin’s shift to fabric art was two decades in the making. As a self-taught artist, Melvin initially focused on painting.  It was not until 2016 that he seriously explored fabrics. 

“In all the years I was exploring painting, I felt something was missing. I wanted to bring my artistry to the next level. It was when I started doing fabric art that I felt total satisfaction,” Melvin explains.

Melvin has a long fascination with fabrics.  As a young boy, Melvin realized the ingenuity of fabrics when he saw how his lola (grandmother) was able to create curtains, pillow covers, and blankets from the retaso (scraps of clothing) she purchased at the Jaro Market in Iloilo City.  

His fascination with fabrics was bolstered by the concept of ukay-ukay or the selling of used clothes or clothing materials. Melvin’s venture into fabric art proved rewarding when he won the grand prize at the Philippine Art Awards (PAA) in 2020 for his piece Failed Reconciliation, a portrait of his once turbulent relationship with his parents and his siblings. 

“Entablado” has just concluded its run at the Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City.