Emman Acasio

Organic revolutions

Emman Acasio on nature and human mankind 

March 4, 2019 / C-3

Text by Hannah Jo Uy

‘I randomly take photos of weird objects I think can be useful in my artworks. Besides developing my own system, I am also exploring new mediums like ceramic sculptures and augmented reality (AR).’

Mother nature does not take kindly to ignorance and abuse. In moments her patience is tested, she lashes out as a reminder that while life flourishes in her womb, she can just as easily orchestrate its destruc­tion. Emman Acasio explores the tenous relationship between people and nature in his latest show “Finite,” which puts a spotlight on human­kind’s impact on the envrionment and vice versa. Built on the principle that “Ours is a finite earth,” the collection emabarks on a visual exposition of the planet’s limited resources and man’s arrogance despite this reality. 

“People nowadays have their own personal problems to prioritize rather than worry about taking care of the environment,” Emman muses. “Countries with less poverty are more aggressive when it comes to environ­mental preservation. Unlike here in the Philippines. Also, businesses here flourish with no regard for the damage they are causing the environ­ment. That’s what we learned with the ongoing cleanup in Manila Bay. People focus on their personal gain.” 

This pushed Emman to create flourishing ecoystems bursting with flora and fauna and inhabited by ani­mals endemic to the country within the confines of his canvas. His paint­ings are a world of its own, pulsating with life in all its forms. But just when it appears to be a celebration of the di­versity of species in the Philippines, in the center of the piece are orbs that depict the most tragic natural disas­ters—from the typhoons that swept away count­less souls to the merciless volcanoes that consumed sur­rounding villag­es. It provides a glimpse of the other side of na­ture, highlight­ing its wrath which, the artist says, is spurred by man’s abuse. Ultimately, it will cause our own extinction. 

E m m a n ’ s deep fondness for nature comes from growing up in the fishing village of Lemery, Batangas, where his home was a mere 100 steps away from the water. Despite the wealth of the sur­rounding resources, he recalls that the neighbhorhood was largely ig­norant about natural preservation, an observation he never forgot. “I also think that there’s an inner Kuya Kim in me who loves trivias about nature,” he jokes. “Ideas just come to mind whenever I am composing an artwork and it makes me feel that I am in my element.” 

It was also at a young age that Emman began painting, starting with micmicking the landscapes of his fa­ther, Lino Acasio, his primary men­tor, who had a signficiant influence on his aesthetic. As Emnan matured, he developed his own method. A fan of surrealism, he admits to being drawn to the bizzare to communicate meaning guid­ed by his own subconcious. Spontaneous, Emman says his visual repertoire is largely reliant on memory and instinct. 

“Now, I see things differently,” he says. “I tend to find stories from mundane objects. Suddenly every­thing becomes interesting. I ran­domly take photos of weird objects I think can be useful in my artworks. Besides developing my own system, I am also exploring new mediums like ceramic sculptures and aug­mented reality (AR).” 

Emman’s use of AR is admittedly an outstanding feature of the collec­tion. Though the concept serves as a strong foundation in itself, AR adds another layer that takes the experi­ence to another level. This idea of breathing life into his work by adding movement through the aid of tech­nology, stemmed from when Emman was in Singapore and he learned animation in the process of creating presentations for clients. “Last year, Artivive was introduced to me by Nor­lie Meimban,” he says, referring to an application that uploads animation into AR that can be later viewed using a mobile phone. 

“It makes artworks come to life,” he says. “Since I tackle serious and, for some, boring issues, I need to find ways to make my work more intrest­ing. Everyone will be able to experi­ence the natural environment through virtual capability.” 

For Emman, technology can be valuable tool for artists. “It helps us ease the process and fo­cus more on ideas,” he explains. “It also assists us in presenting our creativity in a different, some­times unexplored, medium.” 

He adds that technology, despite being an inorganic tool, if used prop­erly, can be vital for the preservation of the organic. “I think it’s about ex­ploring and realizing new ideas, forms, techniques, and mediums,” he says.

 

Emman Acasio’s collection, “Fi­nite,” is on exhibit at the Galerie Stephanie until March 17, 2019.