Since the beginning, ours has been a world full of labels, which exist not only to identify but to keep people in line. We are grouped based on ideas, gender, and skin color, which, rather than showing our commonality, remind us of how different we are from each other.

In Marc Salamat’s latest exhibit “Emancipation,” he is imagining a world where people, not segregated by skin color, “live as one,” as the John Lennon song has put it.

“This exhibit is about gratitude and the idea of a tranquil life untied by the restrictions of society,” says Salamat. “The message is to live the life you want as long as you are not causing harm to others, and you’ll be at peace.”

Unlike that of many of his contemporaries, Marc’s life in the arts wasn’t founded on a child’s dream. It was in his freshman year in college that he discovered a passion for painting, pushing him to shift in his studies from computer science to fine arts. For over 18 years, he has joined numerous competitions and launched a handful of exhibits, enabling him to convey human figures and ideas in a style that made him stand out among today’s roster of visual artists. His process of making art usually involves writing down his thoughts first before sketching on the canvas. This allows him to have a clear head when painting.

“I am a visionary artist and my art is a reflection of my personal philosophy and life experiences. My theme focuses on love, gratitude, nature, oneness, humanity, and spirituality,” Marc says. “I am fascinated by colors and I use vibrant hues in my paintings inspired by the seven chakras.”

That aesthetic and creative process continue in his fourth solo exhibit. In “Emancipation,” his depiction of subjects without their skin is more an attempt to neutralize differences but also to explore new ways of seeing beyond the surface and create a visual language that showcases the complexity of humans' internal states and social relationships.

‘Art makes life interesting and it is a way for us to express our feelings. It is an emotion translated into a creative form.’

“The exposed muscles symbolize the human being’s sameness. There is no discrimination, no racism. When there is no flesh, we are all the same,” he says. “I believe we are all connected and we humans were all born naturally good.”

In his artworks are unmasked beings with muscles reminiscent of flower petals, sea shells, fins, and grass, a nod to his deep connection to the environment. This can be seen in pieces like Peaceful Disposition and Beautiful One where floral design elements are seamlessly added into the human anatomy. A sense of wonder and bliss is also present in his works with idyllic expressions, both from human and nature, such as in Awake and The Gift of Love. All of the pieces contribute to the world Marc is creating with his art, a place liberated from suffering, stigma, and biases, where beauty and harmony reign supreme.

“Art makes life interesting and it is a way for us to express our feelings. It is an emotion translated into a creative form,” Marc says. “As an artist, my life mission is to create art that inspires, gives hope and healing, as well as spreads peace and love.”

“Emancipation” runs until Aug. 6 at Arte Bettina Gallery at Greenbelt 5 in Makati City.