BY JOSE PAOLO S. DELA CRUZ
What the pandemic took from artists in terms of sources of inspiration, it inevitably paid for with time. And as artists traded in their wanderlust for staring contests with their canvasses, many of them eventually picked up their paintbrushes to create worlds beyond quarantine lines. For master abstractionist Edwin Wilwayco, the result was Jazz/Nocturne Interlude — a collection of 37 paintings that debuted at the recently inaugurated Galerie Joaquin in Bonifacio Global City.
“I think it’s a blessing that during the pandemic, most artists are just holed up in their studios and are able to concentrate on their art,” says Wilwayco, who is celebrating his 38th anniversary as an artist this year. Incidentally, his most recent exhibit is also his 38th solo show.
Wilwayco, who, like the rest of the country, had to stay at home due to stringent lockdown measures, found himself doing what he does best. When travel and experiences were scarce, he turned to one of the pandemic-era’s most potent sources of sanity and inspiration: music.
“In the same way that I’ve been inspired by the classical music of Vivaldi, Bach and Satie in the past, I wanted to do a collection of paintings based on another genre — jazz,” starts off Wilwayco, who admits to having a collection of pop jazz and Broadway jazz music in home. “I think it’s the music of Dave Brubeck that started it all. Later on, I found myself listening to Ahmad Jamal, Ray Brown and John Patitucci.”
And with Spotify as his medium of choice, the music played and he went to work. Five months later, just as the world is waking up from its pandemic-induced slumber, Wilwayco’s newest series is rearing its enigmatic head.
Straying from the artist’s usually colorful palette, Jazz/Nocturne is a little more subdued; an interlude of black and white with momentary pops of color such as blue, gold and red. From what the writer has seen, the mood is a little more quiet; muted but not sad. Much like the musical genre, whose history is somewhat defined by the Prohibition Era, Jazz/Nocturne seems to carry its secrets within its blacks, whites and grays, before letting the viewer into a celebration of life through its defining highlights.
And just like his previously sold-out collections Fractals, Jeepney and Octo series, Wilwayco says that this is probably the only time he will offer anything like Nocturne/Jazz. “I always believe that I’m a risk taker when it comes to producing my series. Why? If ever this new series is sold-out, I cant imagine myself doing a version 2.0, 3.0 and so on,” he shares.
First and foremost
For Galerie Joaquin’s managing director Jack Teotico, Wilwayco is an excellent “buena mano,” to their fourth and newest space at One Bonifacio High Street in November, which he describes as “a well-appointed, intricately designed space that caters to a select roster of leading modernists and fine arts masters.”
“We have been following Edwin’s [Wilwayco’s] career for years. And while we’ve worked with him in some projects in the past, we’ve always wanted to have a solo exhibit for him. So when the opportunity presented itself, which is the opening of one of our most important spaces, we talked to each other and the result is this exhibit,” says Teotico.
Even before Jazz/Nocturne debuted in its 234-sq.m exhibition space in BGC, Galerie Joaquin has been associated with some of the country’s most legendary artists. In fact, many would refer to it as the “house Sanso built,” thanks to the many collaborations between Teotico and Juvenal Sanso in the past. “We also worked with National artist Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, National Artist Abdulmari Imao, Ramon Orlina, Michael Cacnio, and of course, recently Dominic Rubio and many, many more,” says Teotico.
And now, Wilwayco joins that esteemed list of artists whose works have, at least once, made Galerie Joaquin its home. “We definitely feel that Edwin is one of the most important modernists of today. The focus is now on his generation and we would like to be part of this conversation,” says Teotico. “If you want your art collection to be complete, and you are a serious art collector, you should have a Wilwayco in your collection because it’s their time now.”
While grateful for the praises, the ever-humble Wilwayco for his part, simply remains thankful to the Almighty for the opportunity to create art. So grateful is he that even in the darkness of the pandemic, he sees a silver lining. “So I think it’s a blessing, really, just to be concentrating on and creating art; not with worrying about what’s happening outside. I know it will be over. So I think I would say I’m just focused on creating paintings,” ends Wilwayco.
