“Live and die in the moment and repeat that cycle.”

This is the uncompromising mantra behind “Child World Grotto,” a collaborative exhibit by Ana Verayo and Ernest Concepcion at Modeka Art. Running until June 6, the project marks a fascinating convergence between Ana’s calculated industrial paint processes and Ernest’s iconic, conflict-based imagery. Yet, instead of clashing, the two artists simply “react” to one another with an unexpected, pure vulnerability on canvas.

“There’s something particularly natural, pure, and child-like about play, and I feel the same way when I make art,” says Ana. “I think beauty comes from this natural phenomenon.”

Ana and Ernest are staging a quiet rebellion rooted in the joy of pure creation. Their collective artist statement boldly declares that the medium “serves as a tool” with “no inherent significance beyond that,” choosing instead to operate on “pure blind faith that the body of work will be extraordinary.”

For Ernest, a seasoned painter and lecturer at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, this uninhibited approach is a natural extension of his core studio philosophy.

“I try not to overthink my process and just get down to it,” Ernest shares. “I chose to be an artist because I wanted to play forever - and when you play, you don’t overthink it. You’re not supposed to be too conscious about why you play.”

This carefree execution is precisely what breathes life into “Child World Grotto.” By throwing away rigid limitations and standard definitions, the duo creates an experimental playground inside Modeka’s Glass Box space, letting their hands do the talking while their minds stay firmly anchored in the present.

When examining the actual canvases of “Child World Grotto,” the spirit of pure, unfiltered painterly reaction immediately leaps out at the viewer. In “Magandang Umaga ‘Nam,” we see an explosion of hot oranges and brilliant blues framing a central, melting crest of light. Marching out of this psychedelic horizon are a pair of military-esque figures packed with an absurd accumulation of gear, guitars, vintage rotary phones, and keytar-like electronics, directly echoing Ernest’s penchant for video games and comic books.

A similar combustible energy anchors “M Bison,” where a central monitor-headed figure with exposed wiring erupts amidst a swirling battlefield of tanks, military debris, and flying aircraft, bringing Ernest’s classic “Line Wars” theme into a brilliant, multi-medium collision with Ana’s industrial textures.

Yet, the collaboration shifts gears beautifully when Ana’s atmospheric, non-pattern landscapes take structural precedence. In “Jumbo” and “Lower Misty Hop,” the canvas transforms into a fluid cloud-like realm dominated by sweeping turquoise pools, coral pink tones, and energetic scrawled graphite scribbles. There is a palpable lightness here, showing a masterclass in push-and-pull as Ernest’s aggressive, heavy line work softens into and plays with Ana’s spacious, abstract background fields.

Both distinguished alumni of the UP College of Fine Arts, the artists bring radically different yet beautifully complementary technical habits to the shared space. Ana utilizes shifts in time and moments to ground her abstract expression, working predominantly with industrial paint and printmaking techniques. Ernest, who spent over a decade navigating the gritty art scene of Brooklyn, New York, oscillates between complex narrative drawings and heavily textured paint experimentations.

Their studio dynamic is shaped by an immense level of mutual trust and respect. Ernest openly points to Ana as a crucial anchor in his life and evolving practice, noting: “My girlfriend artist, Ana Verayo, is a constant mentor for me, encompassing every way of living life properly.” This personal alignment effortlessly flows into the work.

This deep trust and shared artistic vocabulary are profoundly evident in the way they manage complex textures on a single canvas. For instance, “President Psy-Op” acts as a brilliant tactile playground, utilizing a central, heavily cracked, eggshell-like pool of pale blue enamel that naturally mimics a parched, natural landscape - a hallmark of Ana's natural versus artificial topographies. Framed by dense, organic brambles and a mysterious knight on horseback, the piece showcases their shared desire to explore non-linear forms.

Meanwhile, “Kingdom Cum,” takes on a more classical fairytale-gothic tone, featuring fine, intricately layered ink drawings of medieval armies scaling ladders around a towering, blue-spired castle, proving that the duo can effortlessly hop between grand, epic narratives and raw abstraction.

The historical and landscape motifs culminate beautifully in “Insulares Peninsulares,” where ghostly, textured galleon shops brave a sea of muddy earth tones and bleeding crimson ink, and “A Sleight of Hand,” which leans completely into raw, gestural beige and cream enamel pours that slide across the canvas like melting wax. In each piece, the medium is never over-managed; it is allowed to drip, pool, crack, and simply exist.

Ultimately, the underlying architecture of their joint canvases relies entirely on instinct over structure. Ernest’s aesthetic choices have always been intensely personal, shifting dynamically depending on his mood, the feeling of a particular day, or a passing thought.

“Some works may begin from subtle hints about my opinions of society, current events, and whatnot, but in the end they get deconstructed in my brain and come out of my hands as a purely enjoyable experience,” Ernest reveals. “If it ain’t fun, I wouldn’t do it. My work represents my thoughts, and my thoughts alone. I’m really delighted when people appreciate my work and join me for the ride.

By stepping away from traditional artistic anxieties and fully diving into the raw chaos of creation, Ana and Ernest capture a rare, unpolished magic. In doing so, “Child World Grotto” successfully achieves its ultimate thesis: to break through the sterile, superficial expectations of the modern world and convey some humanity in imperfection.