Dubbed as “From Here,” it features the artist in his attempt to capture the “nostalgia you carry with you” in 10 rectangular artworks encased in his iconic luggage-shaped frames. He also aims to give a positive spin to the “baggage” that often drags you down through your journey.
A voracious consumer of words, ideas and images, artist Ricky Ambagan is also known for his prowess in storytelling, as he paints narratives that appeal to his viewers’ collective memory. He will be opening a solo exhibition at Salcedo Private View, the gallery and private sale subsidiary of premier auction house Salcedo Auctions today, December 4. The show runs through December 18.
Ricky Ambagan, “Beyond Borders,” 2021, Oil on canvas
Ricky Ambagan, ‘Old Friends’, 2021, Oil on canvas
Ricky Ambagan, “Huling El Bimbo,” 2021, Oil on canvas
Titled “From Here,” the exhibition comes in the heels of his earlier sold-out show also at Salcedo titled “I’m Coming Home.” Ambagan is versed in carefully composed stories, his works not subscribing to any set pattern, and instead preferring to deconstruct images from various sources. Lately, he has assumed the role of a cinematographer in the way that he presents his subjects. Intentionally breaking the rules of perception and perspective. Theatricality on canvas is his central aesthetic.
Ambagan creates this next edition of his fantastical visual narratives encased by the artist’s iconic luggage-shaped frames. The show features 10 rectangular canvas works depicting charmingly detailed scenes that make viewers feel as if they’re looking at snapshots taken from a familiar dream. Artifacts and mementoes from the artist’s childhood are painted onto the canvas, the level of detail in each piece as intentional as they are striking.
Ambagan brightly celebrates the interior drama of these experiences—unpacking memories with charm and whimsy, his canvases sprawling with critical iconographies from diverse milieus. As an avid reader, Ambagan takes not only from his recollections, but also from the books, podcasts and films that he consumes.
Ambagan’s choice of displaying his artworks within the “maleta” (luggage) frames gives a new, positive meaning to the idea of carrying personal baggage. He dares his viewers to ask themselves what their own personal baggages may be after confronting them with visualizations of his own personal experiences, eliciting powerful emotions and sparking conversations with his viewers.
“From Here” by Ricky Ambagan is presented by Salcedo Private View and is co-presented by our Exclusive Banking Partner HSBC Premier. For inquiries, email info@salcedoauctions.com or phone +632 8 8230956 | +63 9171075581. Follow @salcedoauctions on Instagram and Facebook for more updates.
Ricky Ambagan, “We all live in a yellow submarine,” 2021, Oil on canvas
Ricky Ambagan, “Lost in Paradise,” 2021, Oil on canvas
Ricky Ambagan, “The Saga Continues,” 2021, Oil on canvas
Ricky Ambagan, “Roadmap,” 2021, Oil on canvas
