Psychonaut

Saturday, September 5
at 6:00pm

Vinyl on Vinyl
1230 Makati, Philippines

Psychonaut by Miguel Paulo Borja

Humanity, in comparison to the rest of the universe, is a relatively new concept. But despite their short tenure they have become witnesses to exponential leaps in evolution and consciousness, and arguably, are the catalysts to an age of awareness and technological singularity.

One of the best manifestations of this technological advancement is space travel. Always drawn towards the unknown, man’s insatiable curiosity has taken them beyond the bounds of earth and into the uncertainty of space. They’ve hurtled themselves countless of times into the abyss in the hopes of a deeper understanding of something greater.

Many ancient belief systems have revolved around the worship of the cosmos, and it’s not difficult to wonder why. The vast and panoramic expanse of the night sky spurns irony as much as it does curiosity. It can be both a spiritual experience as well as a reflection of man’s fear of it and the need to fathom it: a merging of science and spirituality; a movement outwards as much as it is inwards.

As man ventures out to discover if there is life beyond earth, a small part of humanity’s transdimensional loneliness is alleviated. The reason for man’s insatiable curiosity is simple then – it is the basic and universal need for a genuine human connection.

There is a certain sense of longing that can be felt from the figures in Miguel Paulo Borja’s paintings – a sort of bittersweet irony that is a reflection of the human condition; a certain beauty in their tragedy. He paints* scavengers, wanderers and transients, in search of purpose to their being, navigating through a world that looks familiar but feels entirely alien.

Psychonaut is Borja’s realization that man is meant to plunge themselves into the depths of darkness, embracing moments of uncertainty and fear. As curiosity dictates, it is after all, man’s nature.