100 Portraits by Una Gil

Saturday, August 8
at 4:00pm – 8:00pm

SET Artist Run Space
Unit S-III-B, 3rd Floor, The Gallery Building, Amorsolo Street, 1231 Makati

100 Portraits by Una Gil

Young artist, Una Gil, mounts her first exhibition at Set Artist Run Space this August 8, 2015 at 4PM.

Not even in her first year of college, Una Gil has been hard at work to reach her goal. Balancing studying art, painting, dancing, graduating from high school, and vying for acceptance into universities is no small feat. Yet, through perseverance and dedication she was able to complete all her tasks with a smile on her face and her head held up high. Not only that, Una has been accepted into every art school to which she applied, and ultimately achieved her goal – admission into the prestigious art school, Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Canada.

Only 17 years old and not wanting to put the burden on her family, Una has been hard at work raising funds for her tuition by painting 100 watercolor portraits of family, friends, and clients who have contacted her along the way. All of this done in a few months time.

Her watercolor portraits are all black and white on 5×7’’ watercolor paper. She employed the classical methods of drawing and painting in her portraits. It is very interesting to see her progression from start to finish. The getting to know the medium is evident in her early works and as she progressed you can see how she was able to master her own style using the medium. The show is laid out in chronological order so that the audience may see her growth and progression of technique.

We can all learn something from Una’s hard work, that we can all choose our own path and take control of situations that seem larger than us. By taking what we have and developing it to the very best it can be and pushing it forward, we can steer the path to wherever we want to take it. Just take a look around you, these 100 portraits by Una Gil testify that.

Artist Statement

My goal for this project was to help my family raise the funds I would need for my art education.

Admission into Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver was a chance of a lifetime but the costs were real. The 100 Portraits Project was the practical solution to get me to Canada and cover tuition for the first year.

Pre selected photos indicated both an approval of the image by the subject and a sign for me to begin. Construction lines, shadow shapes, and approximately three layers of paint went into each portrait. I used watercolor because I took to the medium right away. I am comfortable with it. It feels soft and sincere. Black and white is the beginning to understanding values before moving on to more complex elements such as color. As I am about to begin my life as an art student, there really is still so much for me to learn.

The faces you see summarize what the past four months have been like for me. More than just funds to cover educational expenses, these portraits represent those who have supported me on my journey. Without them, I would not have been able to reach my goal and study at ECUAD. This is an exhibition of my gratefulness to them.

Una Gil
August 2015 – Manila, Philippines

Artist Bio

Music, art, and a continued concentration on classical ballet have always been an indispensable part of 17-year-old Una Gil’s education.

As a little girl, and when she wasn’t dancing, drawing was another way for Una to enter a different world. It was in her high school years that she discovered a different satisfaction that came with creating visual art that she decided to pursue further studies in the field.

Una is about to begin her life as an art student at the Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver, Canada where she qualified as a Foundation Year student through the submission of a required body of work. She launched The Hundred Portraits Project to augment her funds to study at the university.

Hope to see you on Saturday between 4 to 8pm! Una would love to meet all those who have and would still like to support The100 Portraits Project and personally thank each and every one.

She will still continue the project while in Canada and can take orders from all over.