“Relic” by Jef Cablog

To have the opportunity and enthusiasm to travel is an integral part in my growth and evolution as an artist.

In August 2015, not only was my artwork “LUSH” chosen as the banner artwork of their annual Film Festival (FIFIG), I was also invited in Ile de Groix, Brittany, France for an artist residency and a solo exhibition thereafter. My wife and I, stayed in the island for more than 2 months. It is in France where I first saw and acquired a palette knife with grooves/teeth. I discovered I can achieve various textures depending on how the grooves in the knives vary. When we left the island, we travelled for another 20 days to Geneva, Milan, Florence, Rome, Barcelona and Paris. To be exposed to the European culture, having had the chance to marvel at European art from paintings and sculptures of famous masters to historic structures and buildings and to see for the first time the colors of autumn, provided great inspiration and growth in me as an artist.

After I got back from that trip, I was transformed. Right after my residency in France, I went out of my comfort zone and experimented with mixed media re-using plastic waste combined with scrap metals, glass and found objects, the result of which was launched in my 4th solo exhibition in Manila, Philippines last 2017, entitled “Colors of Excess”

After that trip, my special interest in European relief sculptures which I have taken photos of during our travel there, have become the main subjects of my paintings. I would consider this some form of account on my experience having seen these “relics” from our distant past and my current take/interpretation and an attempt to somehow preserving an impression of these “relics.” I also consider this a part of my evolution and the next phase of my art career. In addition, these relief sculptures creates an impression as if you have traveled in the past, some of the structures even seem preserved and untouched by modernization. In Europe, I saw harmony between the old and the new, and the coexistence of man and man-made structures with nature which is parallel to what I want to portray in my art. In general, my travels to different countries (including Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan) in recent years and exposure to other cultures paved way for me to open up to a wider range of subjects, my style also evolved and color palette broadened.

My wife and I love to travel and not only does it give me inspiration and new perspectives but also a crucial part in developing and learning new approach/es in my creation process. I always feel inspired when given an opportunity to work in a new atmosphere and outside of my comfort zone. When in another country, we would always prioritize hiking in the mountains and connect with nature. On our way, while waiting in terminals, while we stop to rest or look at the scenic views and upon reaching our destination, I sketch when possible. My “Pen and Ink Travel Sketch Series” as well as paintings inspired by our travels will be featured in my 6th Solo Show entitled “RELIC” during ManilArt 2020.

I would love to be given an opportunity to work while traveling again but the current COVID-19 global health crisis reminded us once again how uncertain a lot of things are in this World. Travel from one place to another has become restricted. The “relics” I saw during my previous travels may not be the same nor still exist when I come back. So for me, every artist has an obligation to successfully integrate and convey how he sees, experiences, understands and interprets fragments of (or what remains from) the past with the world he currently lives in. How he tells his story thru his paintings is his legacy and play a crucial role in preserving this history.

REIKI
The painting is inspired by the artist’s 2019 trip to Japan. The stoned-carved relief sculpture on which the painting was based can be found at the entrance of Kurama-dera Temple in the Northern Part of Kyoto. Kurama-dera is known for its spirituality and its breathtaking natural beauty, something that has been fostered in Kurama for ages. The temple itself has a history from the year 770, and each season the temple shows visitors a different face. Whether you take the cable car or hike up the mountain, you’re surrounded by verdant mountain forests where you may be able to spot some of the local wildlife. The temple’s main hall offers a gorgeous view out over the surrounding mountains, and a sandō path ( one and a half hour walk) connects it to the nearby Kibune village and  Kifune Shrine .  Mt. Kurama is also believed to be the birthplace of reiki, a type of “energy therapy” which utilizes spiritual elements. 

Reiki is a spiritual healing art with its roots in Japanese origin. The word Reiki comes from the Japanese word (Rei) which means “Universal Life” and (Ki) which means “Energy”. Reiki is not affiliated with any particular religion or religious practice. While Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion. It has no dogma, and there is nothing you must believe in order to learn and use Reiki. In fact, Reiki is not dependent on belief at all and will work whether you believe in it or not. It is not massage nor is it based on belief or suggestion. It is a subtle and effective form of energy work using spiritually guided life force energy. Its use is not dependent on one's intellectual capacity or spiritual development and therefore is available to everyone. It has been successfully taught to thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds.

Reiki is the life energy that flows through all living things. Reiki Practitioners understand that everyone has the ability to connect with their own healing energy and use it to strengthen
energy in themselves and help others. It is believed that a person’s “ki” or energy should be strong and free-flowing. When this is true a person’s body and mind is in a positive state of health. When the energy becomes weak or blocked it could lead to symptoms of physical or emotional imbalance.

Just like a Reiki session, the artist hopes that viewing the wonderful glowing radiance of the painting creates a flow of Energy through and around the viewer/s. An experience that includes relaxation, feelings of peace and security, can help ease tension and stress and can help support the body to facilitate an environment for healing on all levels – physical, mental, and emotional.

DRAPED
What is beauty and why are we so obsessed by it? How beauty is defined is part of society's collective consciousness, and yet at the same time are entirely immediate and personal. Although each person has his own definitions of beauty, our understanding of beauty has been defined in so many ways and changed throughout the course
of history and artists like myself, has been the forefronts in capturing, representing or describing perceptions of beauty in their own time.

Our current perception and standards of beauty is also influenced by almost all forms of media. Exposure to advertising campaigns from billboards, magazines, on television and over the internet, of supermodels and movie actors that fulfill the unrealistic media ideal of beauty often lead to feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem on most people. Also, being “young and attractive” is often perceived as an advantage in terms of opportunities in our society and it is with this mindset that men or women are viewed as or reduced to “flesh”, just like any other commodity.

Our society has built up these impossible beauty standards and because of the pressure of wanting to be socially accepted as “beautiful”, some people develop low self-esteem or insecurities that they discount the traditional notion that the human body is sacred and subject themselves to drastic changes in their diet, undergo non-surgical and some medical procedures, to the point of addiction at worst, just to appear acceptable or closer to our current society’s standards. Sadly, some may not even be fully aware on the long term effects on their body and physical health.

In the end, we are all flesh and bone underneath. It wouldn’t matter if we try and alter our appearances as man and all living things eventually have to face aging, death and decay. It’s all in the eye of the beholder and true beauty lies also within, draped beneath our superficial body.

VIRTUS
Virtus was a specific virtue in Ancient Rome. It carries connotations of valor, manliness, excellence, courage, character, and worth,

RESURGENCE
Shows man and nature’s resilience and capacity to recover or heal from disease, or from harmful effects of pollution, toxicity or intense degradation.

PRECARIA
Latin for “prayer”