By Hannah L. Torregoza

Photos by Art Lounge Manila 

Manila’s visual art scene is used to seeing Christian Mirang’s colorful and vibrant hyperrealist creations, but for his seventh solo exhbition, the “Kulay sa Tubig” Hall of Famer is temporarily ditching colors in favor of black (dagtum) and white (puraw) aesthetics.

While monochrome paintings may give off that gloomy feel, this realist painter refused to exude a woeful atmosphere in his new series, exhibiting rather a profound sense of Biblical truths in each of his piece.

“Even in the dark, there is still light,” Mirang pointed out. Thui, he said, is the reason why some of his artworks show how a ray of light can still visually and emotionally draw you in to a hopeful scenario.

When asked what made him think of deviating from his usual primary medium, watercolor, Mirang said the beauty of bringing to life a black-and-white expression is a challenge he is ready to tackle.

The goal is also to entice art enthusiasts to delve deeper into their own psyche and provide an introspective avenue for those in a continuous search for the meaning of life.

“I used black and white to give more depth and tranquility to my works, and also to convey a more crystal clear message,” Mirang said. “Each painting has a biblical meaning. Each was spirit-inspired. I am just a channel of the Lord. These are really His works, not mine. The purpose of this is to minister to people, particularly to art enthusiasts, that there is really a God that loves us. That there is always a light that shines in our darkness moment. That only the Lord can turn our life from scuro (dark) to chiaro (light),” the Philippine Women’s University Fine Arts major further explained.

Mirang said he is happy with the feedback he received from the viewers of his exhibit. “They said that the paintings really speaks, that they find peace, hope, and joy at looking deeply into them. I’m glad that the purpose has been served.”

Christian Mirang’s “Dagtum at Puraw” series was exhibited at the Art Lounge in The Podium. The exhibit ran from Nov. 2 to 15, 2023