Toym Imao

 

A Boy In The Midst Of War

Toym Imao channels his father’s childhood visions and talks

about the potential of artistic images to unite the country

By Terence Repelente 

November 11, 2019 / C-3 

The art in Toym Imao’s on­going exhibition at Galerie Joaquin UP Town Center, “In His Veins,” is primarily an homage to his father, Abdulmari Imao. But according to Toym, col­lectively, the works signify something beyond the late National Artist. It can also be linked to the narratives of his fierce and brave ancestors. 

In an interview with Manila Bulletin Lifestyle, Toym tells an interesting story about their last name, Imao. According to him, their original last name was Halimao, the meaning of which can be traced as “tiger.” His great grandfather’s name was Hali­mao Tunggal, who was a respected warrior. He had three sons, Abdul­rahim, Abdulmuin, and Abdulhali. “But when the Americans came and the public school system was intro­duced, these three boys were always the butt of the joke or were always in fistfights,” Toym says. “Because their last name, Halimao, sounded like halimaw, which means monster.” Eventually, an American missionary advised his father’s grand uncle to change it to “Imao.” 

Perhaps shaped by the toughness of their childhood, these three Imao brothers, who were National Artist Abdulmari Imao’s uncles, grew up to lead an armed guerilla resistance, historically called the Fighting 21, against the Japanese in Sulu during World War II. 

WAR AND DREAMS 

In the exhibit, Toym intends to play on his father’s vision as a child in a time of war. According to him, it’s interesting that, despite the horrors of war, his father went on to imagine what was beautiful. “When we were kids, he would always tell us stories about that time. I grew up with these stories, these visions, these images,” he says. In the exhibition, Toym takes his father’s childhood stories and style as an artist, and he creates something entirely new—his own way of retelling the narratives. 

In the dreamlike works in the form of paintings and sculptures, there are a lot of planes, wings, and bird-like imagery, a product of Abulmari’s early fascination with birds and airplanes. “This is a reflection of their situation during the war,” Toym says. “But he was also extremely fascinated with birds, especially colorful migratory ones. Because they were guerillas al­ways in the forest. They would trap migratory birds.” 

SARIMANOK AS AN AVATAR 

Toym’s father has always been known for incorporating, and even popularizing, the sarimanok through his works. But his father never treated it as his own, saying that he just borrowed it from the Maranao. He treated it as a story that needed to be told. This mindset shaped Toym as an artist. 

Working with film, theater, and literature, Toym doesn’t settle for a singular form to tell a story. “I treat my art as a language. I don’t want to be associated with one style. For me, these forms effectively convey the kind of stories I want,” he says. But ultimately, his works focuses on tell­ing the stories of Mindanao. 

“My roots are from Mindanao, but I cannot completely say that I am Mindanaoan. But definitely in terms of spirit, in terms of the styles of the works I do, they’re heavily rooted within the region,” he says. “And it’s only now that I’ve had the chance to slowly go back and explore that, not because I’m appropriating it, but be­cause there’s so much to tell about the region. There’s this sense of urgency, because we should let the people know how beautiful the region is besides what the headlines tell us.” 

In continuing to render sarimanok in his works, Toym believes he is continuing a visual tradition. “I’m not copying my father’s sarimanok. I’m just introducing another form, which is contextualized in my own visual perception of the myth,” he says. “It can be a necessary vessel of continuing that understanding from the South, as a visual ambassador—an avatar.”

 

The sarimanok can be interpreted in many ways, with hundreds of existing tales and origin stories in different parts, and even outside, of Mindanao. For Toym, it signifies acceptance and diversity. Next year, he plans on putting up a show that focuses on the sarimanok because its image possesses great potential in uniting the country. 

“In this age of technology, with social media, it is necessary for us to identify with powerful avatars that represent ideas or people. It can serve as a rallying point to condense big and complex ideas,” he says. “In a period of renewed bigotry against the Muslim community, we need to have a rallying symbol to represent Muslims and their culture. [The sarimanok] is something that’s deeply rooted within our culture, history-wise. This is ours, but it is also something that is derived from our cultures, a powerful avatar we can use right now.” 

Edgardo Lantin

Edgardo Lantin: Master of Time

Text by Hannah Jo Uy

Edgardo Lantin is a Renaissance man in modern times. In his work, we see the tenets of the celebrated golden age of art. His style is a revival of the principles of the Renaissance, evident in his subjects created with a genuine knowledge of the body. His combination of anatomy and expression glorifies the union of science and art. Edgardo’s style is characteristic of the period by reflecting elements of depth, balance and proportion, in his beautiful portrayal of the human subject. 

The art of the portrait is an underrated genre within the visual arts. Despite the fact that for the most part commissioned portraiture was the platform that brought the world out of medieval art into an age of artistic flourishing in Florence, Italy, the portrait, formerly the artistic lifeline of the time has been sidetracked for more avant-garde pursuits. However, the portrait remains a classic integral part of the art community. From memorials of historical monarchs to personal family heirloom, the portrait waits patiently by the sidelines humbly waiting for the recognition that it is due. No one is better suited to resurrect the grandeur of the art of portraiture than Edgardo Lantin.

Divided between two continents, Edgardo shuffles between the Philippines and Canada. His time is split in such a way that allows him to spend January to April in Vancouver with his family, and the rest of the year in his motherland. Migrating from Manila in 1981, Edgardo moved to Canada soon after finishing his studies in University of Santo Tomas where he graduated with a degree in Advertising from the College of Fine Arts. He was trained under the likes of Bonifacio Cristobal, Mario Parial and Angelito Antonio.

It was not long after moving to Vancouver that Edgardo met Sofronio Ylanan Mendoza who became his mentor. Despite what Edgardo considers a late start, it was in this time that he had decided to finally take painting seriously, realizing that his happiness lies within the canvas. With a renewed sense of purpose, determined to push his boundaries and refine his proficiency, he went to work. “I had to sharpen my skill,” says Edgardo,” I had to make a body of work, a portfolio so I can show people, this is what I do, this is my expertise.”

Edgardo went in pursuit of excellence, diligently studying for one year in New York after a scholarship grant from the Art Students League of New York. In this time, he studied drawing under Michael Burban, painting under Harvey Dinnerstein and even going on to train on Sculptural Anatomy under Elliot Goldfinger.  “ The masters said that if you want your painting to be powerful and lifelike, you have to study form,” says Edgardo,” because you’re not only painting the skin, you’re also painting the muscle and structure inside the skeleton. Kaya makikita mo sa painting nila, buhay at malakas ang dating. Parang bababa sa canvas para makipagusap sayo.”

In this time Edgardo studied cadavers, muscles, skeletal systems and the anatomy of the human figure. Such knowledge comes across in his works that is most captivating for its striking realism. The lifelike quality in the portraits of Edgardo is what is most arresting about his works. There is a certain movement to his piece, allowing us to be privy to an intimate moment in a person’s life frozen in time. “It’s a great challenge to paint portraits because it’s very hard to be considered successful. You have to capture the character, the personality, the muse and the spirit. That is what’s important.”

His paintings exude a sense of authenticity that captivates the viewer, forcing a contemplation of reality. His frame does not merely border a painting, but rather confines a soul in a moment in time, a peek into the past, an immortalized image that will forever be as beautiful, youthful and powerful as they stand. “If you’re painting, you’re a human being painting another human being. You have to study the human form to justify it.” 

Indeed it is this sincerity and dedication to his craft that puts Edgardo ahead. With every commissioned work, he pours his heart and soul, getting to know his subject, studying them in their natural home environment in order to gather an idea for the composition of their portrait, making something that can unequivocally capture their being. In the course of his research, Edgardo often takes pictures, however he is quick to point out that pictures can never be the basis of his works. “ I was trained to paint from life so I can give the depth. Photography is only a tool to register character and details, but actually when you’re painting, you’re not thinking about that. You’re thinking of the front and back of the person. My technique is multi-classical, there is an over painting. You know alla prima? You finish it in one sitting. But these studio works, you have to build up the paint underneath so you can build the character.”

Edgardo Lantin’s most recent exhibit entitled Portraying Luminescence: The Art of Edgardo Lantin was unveiled at the Artist’s Space, Ayala Museum. Featuring a total of 21 works of oil paintings of various sizes, his latest collection displays his mastery of the brush and his expert use of oil’s luminescent qualities. He favors oil not only for its transparency, but also its ability to provide paintings not only with a certain three dimensional quality. Unlike other mediums, oil absorbs light in a more impressive manner, manifesting itself as opaque in the lighted areas and semi opaque in the shadows. 

Edgardo Lantin is a master of time, finding the answer to immortality through the brush. With his art he memorializes not only his subjects, but also most especially his unmatched talent for the portrait. “I like painting human beings, faces, livelihood, showing their struggle in life. Painting is also a struggle and you relate to people. Because, life is a struggle, if there’s no struggle you might as well die.”

For more information visit www.edgardolantin.com or facebook.com/edlantin.

Henry Royales

 

Henry Royales: Sharing His Wild Side

Text by Hannah Jo Uy

Antlers and horns brought to life with magical strokes of vibrant colors; While many would be raise eyebrows at the rather strange combination of animal parts and art, the two have found its beautiful solace in the hands of artist Henry Royales. 

Fresh from his most recent exhibit which was unveiled to the public just last June 3, 2014 at the West Gallery, artist Henry Royales shares with us his muse, intimate inspirations and what keeps him going. 

Q. Tell us about your new show, what was your motivation for your latest collection?

H.R.: The title of my new show is “Perfect heart.” In a way I was still building on my last show “Lexicon obscene”, except I was showcasing a more positive twist in both the treatment of the artwork as well as its substance and conception. I had about eight pieces, which was similarly patterned after my first show which included ostrich eggs and snake skeletons. 

Q. When did you start incorporating animal parts in your art? And, why? 

H.R.: I was inspired to do that in 2010 when my friend and I were touring around Germany. That’s when I was really moved and encouraged to do something different, something unlike anything people uhas seen before. That is really what attracts people, when you travel you realize you really want to make something new. I thought about it, and since I had always loved animals and I enjoyed collecting skulls and bones of the animals that fascinated me, I just incorporated it into my artwork.  

The first work I ever did was this acrylic box that I pierced open, I placed an egg and the skull of a cat inside. I submitted it as part of a group show in West Gallery in 2010. It measured about a foot end the gallery owner liked it so much, he ended up buying it for himself. There were other collectors interested to buy it, but he had already gotten it. When they offered me a show last 2012, I accepted and I continued my work. My interest I taxidermy grew, and basically I continued to research. I’m always thinking of something new and fresh. That is what has always consumed my mind, what new style or subject I can explore. 

Q. What are the things that spark your creativity?

H.R. I’ve always liked antiques. Objects that have had an attachment to people have always interested me, and I’m currently experimenting with that. I love visiting old shops, and incorporating unlikely things like the feather of a bird or an old forgotten photograph. 

Q. Who are the artists that influenced you the most?

H.R. The artists I liked are the truly unique artists that changed history.  Among them are Paul Cezane, Vincent Van Gogh, and Andy Warhol. I also really liked Jean Michel Basquiat, he’s an African American artist who started at a young age, around 17 years old and he died young also, only at 27 I think. He wanted to show the people something new, and it wasn’t easy especially at that time because of the color of his skin .Then, the art scene was dominated by white people, and I was really amazed at his courage to challenge society. He pursued his art no matter that, and that’s what inspires me. There are many people who have really good techniques, and there are a lot of good artists out there, but only a few reach that level of commitment. 

Q. How is your creative process like? 

H.R.: I don’t really force myself to paint every day. I like spending time with my kids and having my alone time. I love going to bookstores and just looking through all kinds of books from pocket books, to science books, classic literature and 1930s issue of National Geographic. I like going through poems and stories, and sometimes in the process of going through them I come up with concepts and titles for my next work. I like painting about human life. 

Q. Where do you think your evolution as an artist will lead you?

I can already see that I’m not just going to stick with painting, I’m looking forward to doing installation works and sculptures, something more three dimensional, I really enjoy working with my hands. 

Janice Liuson- Young

 

Janice Liuson- Young : Moving Beyond Comfort Zones 

Text by Hannah Jo  Uy

“The temptation for all artists is always the natural desire to be safe and stay comfortable,” Janice Liuson-Young admits, “Why tinker with something that has been successful in the past?” “But that’s not life, that’s death. That’s why for me, every once in a while, I have to remind myself that I want to be a real living person, risky though it may be, rather than just a painting of a person stuck in a museum somewhere.”

Life is characterized by its unpredictability, but for people who are not willing to embrace change, whether those imposed by the external world or that stirring within them, moving beyond comfort zones is frightful. For artist Janice Liuson-Young, however, breaking barriers is the essence of life, and creativity, with its infinite possibility, is the most authentic expression of our humanity. 

“I believe that all people are natural artists, because we were all created by the Original Artist in His image,” she says, “This implies (among other things) two things: all of us have an innate sense of beauty (and reality), and all of us have the ability to create. However, we live in a fallen world that often obscures our sight of the real. Our creative ability is also hampered by our limitations and brokenness.”

Even as a young child, Janice had already shown remarkable interest in the arts. “I remember wondering at the beauty I see in the world, and thinking about why we are drawn to it,” she recalls, “I also found myself fascinated by how people used colour and lines to express their ideas and emotions in graphic form. So, while still a child, I tried my hand at sketching people using pencil, and found out that I could draw. And still later, I decided to take up Fine Arts at UP.” 

Liuson-Young thrived in the Fine Arts Department of University of the Philippines Diliman, where she took up Visual Communications, graduating cum laude and valedictorian in the Class ‘86. She continued to hone her skills, finding herself inspired by the aesthetic sensibilities of Norman Rockwell, John Singer Sargent, Romulo Olazo, Mauro Malang Santos, whose technique, ideas and compositions significantly influenced her own artistic formation. 

“I’ve tried to always be observing, learning, thinking, caring, and creating – in short, to be alive and growing as a person first, and an artist second,” shares Janice, “I’m not sure “evolved” is the right term, because the word implies that I’ve discarded “obsolete” parts of the artistic me – I haven’t really, these parts of me are still intact. However, I do think I’ve grown as an artist because I’ve widened my artistic vision and have also developed a more varied palette of artistic expressions.”

After graduation, she worked as an illustrator and designer of clothes and toys for children, before her first show in 1999 at Shangri-la Plaza. She has since showcased her work across a number of solo and group shows in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Holland and Belgium.

The human condition has always been a subject of fascination for Janice, whose deeply contemplative nature and sharp observations of her surroundings found catharsis in the canvas

“I like to paint the human element into “ordinary” situations that are, however, on closer inspection, not really that simple, like children encountering the world and responding to it. I also like to explore the idea of “beauty” and “reality” in my works, which includes concepts such as order, balance, harmony, humanity, and “life”.”

Since 2005, Janice held the position as Associate Dean of the FEATI University School of the Fine Arts, helping guide a new generation of artists. She manages to cultivate her career while juggling her responsibilities as an educator, finding inspiration in dynamic and vibrant interactions in the art world in the form students, faculty and colleagues. 

“I am also inspired by ideas that arise from my reading of Scripture, especially when they involve the human condition,” says Janice, “Also, I try hard to be really observant of what’s happening in my own life.”

In her desire to challenge stagnation, her latest show reflects her embrace change with a light heart and injecting an element of play as part of a larger discussion on an artist’s need to always explore new frontiers and avoid being boxed in by their own conceptions of themselves. 

“My recent exhibits are exercises in moving beyond my comfort zone - of ‘playing outside the lines’ so to speak,” says Janice, “I wanted to see what would happen if I stepped outside my established pedestrian lanes and trespassed into the danger of the unfamiliar. While strictly I’m not a realist, until last year most of my artistic career involved painting recognizable objects –such as people, flowers, and koi. But I’ve always admired good abstract art. Many times while looking at an abstract painting, I would find myself thinking that I’d like to do that too.” 

She continues, “Then last year I found myself having fun just mixing and playing with paint, and using new materials\mediums in the market. Normally, mixing paint would have been serious stuff. It would have been preparatory for the work I’m about to do. But this time I was just like a kid having fun, instead of preparing to paint a kid having fun. And so, after doing a few studies, I finally asked myself, ‘well, why not?’ 

This question led to J Walking 2, her fifth solo exhibition, currently on display at The Crucible Art Gallery until March 29, 2017. Aptly named to embody the spirit of exploration and self-reflection that guided her creative process for the collection, the show features more than 30 works that serves as a visual playground of Liuson-Young’s foray into abstraction.

However, more importantly, the collection manifests her faith and hope: “I believe that life is both real as well as a metaphor for a deeper reality, and a foreshadowing of realities to come. To my mind, the artist’s job is to be sensitive to those instances when the metaphor is revealed, and to attempt to capture and interpret it for others, thus reviving the experience of forgotten beauty.”

Aljo Pingol

Aljo Pingol: A Testimony of Imagery

Text by Hannah Jo Uy

There is a particular joy present in only few men that suggests a certain kind of peace. A peace that is without fear; from which the absence of fear is not a result of knowing all the answers, but from having faith that the answers will come when the time is right. A peace that is conducive to unbridled creativity and harnessed discipline. A peace that has found its purpose, knowing that such purpose is being fulfilled for a Greater Being, and a peace that is an experience of higher reality. Aljo Pingol is a bearer of such peace.     

   

Immediately striking with his dark purple Mohawk and glasses, his appearance suggests flair of individualism that extends beyond his outer appearance and into his works, which are truly products of a creative and brilliant mind. His unique style, is only a symptom of the ingenuity of his inimitable and distinctive paintings; distinctive in its people, color and exceptional rendition of everyday life in the Philippines, from the urban setting to the provincial escapes. In many ways, Aljo is more than a painter. He is a man with a mission, a mission to express himself in such a way that brings joy to his audiences. An expression that produces work that takes viewers to another place, a place of possibilities with its reality expressed in the charming details of calesas and clowns.  

“Bata pa ako, mahilig na ako magdrawing,” says Aljo of his early beginnings, “Pag pupuntang office mommy ko, humahabol ako, iyak iyak. Gagawin niya, bibigyan niya ako ng colored chalk. May malaking wall doon saamin, nagdrawing ako ng voltes 5, popeye, smurf, mga usong cartoon. Pagkauwi ng mom ko, buburahin niya yun. Kinabukasan ganoon naman. “ From constantly honing his drawing skills from magazines and other images that inspire him, Aljo, continued to explore his passion, eventually being known among his family as the point person for all aspects of creative activity. However, the young artist wanted to explore more.

After high school, Aljo went on to University Santo Tomas, taking up Advertising. Although committed to his plans of becoming a painter, Advertising appealed to Aljo for the variety of disciplines and mediums that it offered, enjoying his classes in painting, interior design, industrial design and so on. His process of exploring different mediums continued to develop his identity as an artist, broadening his mind, and building on his foundation of realism by studying works of Pablo Picasso, Odion Redon and eventually Marc Chagall. Learning can be considered as a second passion for Aljo, who constantly visits second hand bookstores and libraries for art books, in order to broaden his visual repertoire. His hunger for knowledge and images accounts for the variety of styles and influences present in his work, however despite the influence he emulates, the work still manages to remain uniquely his own.

Upon graduating in 1996, Pingol continued work he began even during college for Toonworks. His work for the animation company served him not only financially as he provided for his family as a young husband and father, but artistically as well, with his later paintings containing traces of his work as an animator. 

Aside from Toonworks, Aljo also worked as a portrait and caricature artist, working from home through referrals and advertising. It was in 2004 that he made the decision to pursue his painting full time, finding his purpose in his art, “Sabi ng Diyos, “Linagay talaga kita diyan, sundin mo lang ang path na yan.’ Pero dahil nga, minsan, may sarili tayong pagiisip, may saarili tayong plano, minsan di tapat sa plano ng Diyos, nasisira ang daan natin. Pero lagging naeend up kay God.” His current exhibit at Gallerie Joaquin Podium entitled, “Buhay Pinoy,” running from August 25 to September 3, aside from being his fourth solo exhibit also presents a product of a colorful struggle for discipline and meaning, a struggle that has transformed Aljo as well as his works. 

The images of Aljo’s work contain a folk narrative, capturing the essence of the Filipino spirit in all its optimism and color. Although managing to retain his narrative quality with expressive framed by a mastery of color, his works have also undergone a brighter and lighter metamorphosis that mirrored the artist’s own spiritual enlightenment, which is an integral part of Aljo’s life as an artist. On the dark periods he got through, from the help of his loved ones, his gallery, and his art he says,” Hindi siya negative aspect ng buhay ko. Magandang foundation para sa buhay ko at para sa arts ko. Mas lalo ko siyang mahal, mas lalo akong interesado, mas lalo akong nagging excited, passionate, emotional, mas lalong spiritual. Ang buhay natin circle eh, kahit sa ilalim lang yung isang part ng buhay mo wag kang mawawalan nang pagasa, tuloy lang. Kasi iikot ang buhay. Iibabaw ka rin, lahat magiging masaya, lahat magiging maayos.”

Rapidly gaining attention in the artistic community and collected by art enthusiasts such as Joey De Leon, the gap between his first exhibit in 2006 to his following exhibits in 2011 provided Aljo with a spiritual and artistic training period in his struggle and search for meaning, which he uses to draw from as inspiration. “Sa art ko, parang pag bubuntis siya. May paglilihi, may proseso, may panganganak. Nagpapasalamat ako na ginawa Niya ako ganito, as a painter, as a visual artist.”

It is this grace and guidance that Aljo credits. As he allowed himself to be an instrument for his Muse, it led to an exemplary body of work of both substance and beauty. Of “Buhay Pinoy,” Aljo says “Sinubukan and pagiging artist ko, hindi ko siya linabas sa studio na pwede lang. Ngayon habang tinitingnan ko siya, sobrang proud ako dahil kung ano mang vision pinakita saakin ng Diyos, andiyan yun. Hindi ko ikahihiya na painting ko yan. Yun yung premyo ng artist eh, magawa mo yung layunin mo, magawa mo yung nasa loob mo, maipakita mo sa tao kung ano yung makikita mo na hindi nila makita. Sobrang saya, sobrang sarap noon, sobrang malaking blessing yun as an artist. “

      For the innate talent and humility that Aljo possesses, it is evident this is only the beginning of his testimony of imagery, a testimony that will continue to bear fruit to a fruitful artistic life.

Marge Organo

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS 

Marge Organo molds her story through stained glass masterpieces 

Monday, March 18, 2019 / C-2

Text by Hannah Jo Uy 

In the agile hands of Marge Or­gano, glass, otherwise cold and unbending, writhes to form the fantastical shapes of her imagi­nation. Likening the process to child­birth, she delights in her craft despite the laborious nature of its execution. 

“For a medium this elegant, I believe that working on it for a lon­ger time defines the medium bet­ter,” Organo says. “It’s like having a child—having a waiting period of nine months is what makes it more spe­cial. I want to nurture my work as if it were my baby. That’s what sets it apart from factory-made pieces. Of course, factory-made [products] are more perfect than handmade pieces, but that’s where the beauty lies—the imperfection of the pieces serves as an indication that they were made by human hands.” 

The elegant nature in which Or­gano approaches her art is rooted in her passion to master her medium. As she remains hard at work trying to meet growing demand, she never for­gets to satisfy her unquenchable hun­ger to learn, which is why she actively attends classes abroad to update her knowledge, get ideas, and refine tech­niques. 

Last year, Organo took a trip to the Czech Republic to study Glass Casting and Mould Making, a tech­nique that involves melting glass in a kiln and pouring it in a mold to get the shape intended by the artist. “It is called the warm glass technique,” she explains. “Before this, I was just doing coldworking, a glass technique by which the artist works with glass in its cold or annealed stage.” In this manner, glass is carved and polished using hand tools and machines and no heat is involved, unless one is doing lamination. “Coldworking can stand on its own as a glassmak­ing technique because one can create a piece of glass sculpture using it.” Organo also has plans to go to the Corning Museum of Glass, in New York, by summer. 

Ever the student, she’s steadfast commitment to learning traditional techniques doesn’t stop her from breaking the rules. Experimentation drives her and so does curiosity, as she believes that, in glass, everything is possible “I am very daring when it comes to my work,” she admits. “I think outside the box and try to break tradition. Once, I did something in one of my glass classes and my teacher said, ‘Yeah, you can do that if you want, but don’t tell anyone you did that in my class.’” When she came back to the Philippines, Organo continued to innovate and with wonderful results. 

These wild experimenta­tions trickled down to her recent works showcased at Gallery Nine, which featured one cast glass sculpture, the most important in the collec­tion for her up­coming exhibit at The Gallery in Solaire Re­sort and Ca­sino, “Magnum Opus.” As the name suggests, the collection offers stunning graceful mas­terpieces from Organo’s hands, with the unveil­ing of a pièce-de-résistance that is an immense cast glass sculp­ture of a piano, in which Organo employed a mix of both warm and cold techniques. “It’s like doing a collabo­ration with myself,” she says, “as I have cast glass, cast bronze, and lami­nated optical glass in one piece.” The body of the piano, she explains, is cast glass, the keys and cover are optical coldworked laminated glass, and the legs are cast bronze. 

Reflecting on how her new collec­tion reveals her evolution as an artist, Organo says: “A year ago, I think I was more conservative, more calculating, and very sensitive to the desires of the market. But now I have thrown all care to the wind.” This new respect for the sires of her own heart has moved her toward warmer hues that exude el­egance along with bold combinations of colors, imbuing her works with a youthful, carefree attitude. The works pulsate with joyful energy, borne from an artist that sees the world through rose-tinted glass. 

Organo continues to take deep pleasure in new challenges, always making designs that are particularly difficult to execute, now even ventur­ing to incorporate plants and flowers in her works, encapsulated inside the glass. “I spend sleepless nights thinking of the procedure I will apply in making the design I have created in my mind,” she says. “I challenge my medium and my materials. I go to the extent of testing its strength and resilience.” 

The opening reception for Or­gano’s “Magnum Opus” will be held on March 21 at 6 p.m. at The Gallery at Solaire Resort and Casino. The ex­hibit will run until April 15.