Mark Arcamo *

Mark Arcamo: From the Depths of his Soul

March 3, 2014 / E-3

Text by Hannah Jo Uy

Mark Dawn Arcamo is a man of few words. A self-confessed introvert, his quiet demeanor adds to his

aura of mystery and mystique. Not one to readily speak his mind, his silence is only a façade

camouflaging a vibrant and restless mind that contemplates the nuances of the human condition. His

inner musings finds its absolution and redemption in the form of a canvas; a blank and barren canvas

that serves as a willing diary offering to embrace his most intimate reflections.

Last February 16, 2014 Arcamo celebrated the opening of his first solo exhibition, “Hiding in the

Shadows of Secret Fantasies,” at the Kaida Gallery. Dripping with the multi-layered meaning, the

seductive title is an apt foreshadowing of a collection that shows things not for what they are but for

what they could be once juxtaposed with the unlikeliest objects.

Featuring 9 works in acrylic, Arcamo displays his skillful composition of figures along with his most

recent obsession with Victorian mirrors and insects. The curious marriage of such unexpected elements,

the dainty details of the mirrors coupled with the lifelike quality of the insects bring out contradictory

emotions triggered by the strict decorum and delicate mannerisms of a particular era and the universal

aversion to insects. The result is a philosophical discourse on self-deceptionthat begs viewers to be

mindful of their reactions, and inspect why such reactions happen as they do.

His fascination for insects began with a prior group show in which his works were decorated with their

silhouettes. In working with their figures he was riveted by the image’s ability to inspire both terror and

devotion. With regards to the mirrors he claims to be drawn to their boundless quality, “they contain

something,” shares Arcamo, “but you don’t what, and until when or where.”

Aside from the major elements in his work, the details within the canvas continue his visual narrative

through the elusive outline of roses and the subtle enigmatic eyes in the background. “I like

incorporating eyes, because for me it represents how we all have a blind spot. Even though our eyes are

open, there are many things we don’t see; or many things we pretend not to see. Even though we know

what’s happening, we don’t give it any value or we are in denial.”

More than an examination of the self, the works also exhibit Arcamo’s examination of himself. “It’s an

obsession,” he shares, “it’s like you want something but you don’t know what and you can’t understand

it. At the end it’s just your satisfaction of being able to put it and compose it in a canvas.”

Arcamo’s interest in the visual representation began early on. A native of Zamboanga del Sur, Arcamo

moved to Bohol in 2006, until he went to Manila to earn his degree in Advertising from the Far Eastern

University. Though not heavily involved in the art scene during his early years, Arcamo credit’s his

father’s training and the family’s encouragement to have further fueled the fire that he harbored for the

artistic life. “Actually, all of them were good at drawing,” says Arcamo of his family, “I’m just the only

one that ended up pursuing it and taking it seriously. My father had that kind of work too, he was

working with posters and lettering. He also wanted to take up Fine Arts, but it didn’t push through.”

Arcamo’s consideration to become a full time artist came during his second year in college when he was

made aware of the many student art competitions at the time. Eager to refine his proficiency he joined,

challenging himself by entering every major competition, eventually being a semi-finalist in Metrobank

and bagging the second prize in the Shell Student Competition.

For several years after graduating, Arcamo worked as a muralist. Together along with a group of other

artists they would do commissioned works all over the country for notable restaurant and hotel

establishments where they would conceptualize the design and execute it. It was also during this time

that Arcamo met his wife, who was a fellow artist and interior designer. The time away from exhibiting

in group shows still provided Arcamo with further training to add dimension to his own art pieces.

When he began to concentrate on his own personal creations, he experimented with a mode of

mediums and subjects to see which style best represented his internal contemplations. Although already

slowly exhibiting, Arcamo claims that he was unsatisfied with his products until his recent collections

which he finds to be the most accurate depiction of his unique voice.

He had shifted from minimal monochromatic works to wild works overflowing with a myriad of

elements. His journey to both sides of the spectrum gave birth to a fascinating combination that

maintains a balance of both color and composition; A balance that manages to be a cohesive whole

despite the many subjects within the canvas. Flowers, crystals, patterns, scorpions and a furtive

woman’s tantalizing profile all coming together as inhabitants of the world that Aracamo has built as a

testament to the habits, the secret thoughts and hidden conducts of humanity.

“I have no idea where it comes from,” shares Arcamo, “ I can’t think about how or where it comes from.

I just do it,and it just comes out suddenly. When I see that a painting is done, it’s done. It feels like a full

course meal. There’s an appetizer, an entrée, desert and drinks. You just feel like its whole.”

The canvas of Arcamo is overflowing with his unbridled creative energy. Every component is the

materialization of a busy mind that finds words to be an inadequate mode of expression. Mark Arcamo

doesn’t tell, he shows. Within his canvas Arcamo shares himself stripped from all pretensions and

caution, baring his raw spirit through works that are truly visually fulfilling.