In line with the promotion of Philippine Culture and Arts to the Koreans and other foreign nationals in Seoul, the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines, in cooperation with the Korea Foundation Cultural Center and the Seoul Global Center, will be holding a painting exhibition entitled “KAPULUAN (archipelago): Islands of Vision,” on 8 to 18 October 2008, at the Gallery Nuri , Korea Foundation Cultural Center, featuring four Filipino artists and their individual visions, themes and stylistic strategies on the diversity that made the Philippines a country of fertile territory for culture and arts.

The Exhibition will feature Filipino artists Loreta Medina, William Gaudinez, Sam Penaso, and Jimmy Vista who draw from their respective islands and cultures for inspiration. Each artist draws on intense inner visions, collective memories and sorrows brought on by geography, history, identity, ancestry and contemporary society. Loreta Medina. a published writer who lives and works in Seoul, calls on the shamanistic, animistic roots of pre-Hispanic Philippines, finding faces and stories in the bark of trees. In her works, we see the Korean Platinus tree which she had discovered along the streets of Seoul. Medina, an expatriate, invests the borrowed landscape with her own images, enriching the encounter of two cultures. She has had solo and group exhibitions in Manila, Seoul, Hong Kong, and California. William Gaudinez, puts together items of his culture such as seashells, gems, animal bones and wood to construct colorful assemblages and wall works. His pieces often resemble catholic church altars- relics of the country’s Spanish past- are emblazoned with rich images from ancient myths and legends. He spent several months of art residency at the Uijae Studio Art in Kwangju in 2007 and has brought his works to France, Greece, and the United States. Samuel Penaso, a versatile visual and performance artist, uses his abstract paintings to depict the beauty and richness of his place of birth, Bohol- a province located south of Manila. Using repetitive, muscular and metallic lines that endow the canvas a rhythmic textures and patterns, he sings of his local heritage. He has held a string of exhibitions in the Philippines, Thailand and Japan. Jimmy Vista an award winning artist from Tanay, Rizal, features Filipino life in rural setting in his vibrant works mostly rendered in water color. His works have toured various galleries in the Philippines, China, Hongkong, Singapore, and Malaysia. A visit of these works offers the viewer an insight into the rich and diverse Philippine culture and history. For further information on the Exhibition, please contact the Embassy Cultural Officer at telephone number (02) 796-2403.