OZ: Behind The Seen | Yayie Garcia

Saturday, May 16
at 6:00pm

Art Underground
814 Balagtas St. corner Shaw Blvd. Brgy Addition Hills, 1550 Mandaluyong, Philippines

The stories of the American writer L. Frank Baum have captivated both children and adults for many years. But it is the rich fantasy world he created for “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and the succeeding books in the series that he is most known for. When it was turned into the famous 1939 film starring Judy Garland, the land of Oz cemented itself as one of the most quintessential fantasy lands of fiction. The well-known story of a young farm girl from Kansas named Dorothy getting lost in this strange and beautiful land, and finding her way home hits a particular cultural milieu that is rife for artistic exploration.

Contemporary artist Yayie Garcia investigates the Oz mythos in a new exhibition called “OZ: Behind The Seen,” which will open on Saturday, May 16, 6 pm at Art Underground in Mandaluyong. In this exhibit, Garcia looks deeper at the characters that inhabit both the land of Oz, and the story it is a part of through portrait works of oil on canvas.

Art Underground is located at 814 Balagtas Street, Barangay Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City. For more information, please (632) 721-0745, or email artundergroundmanila@gmail.com. Visit their website at www.aumanila.com

Yayie Garcia is a young stuedent of the Fine Arts program of Far Eastern University. This exhibit, her first solo show, begins with that narrative of Dorothy, and how the young artist relates to Dorothy’s journey as a metaphor for her own life–and her portrait character – who isn’t exactly Dorothy, but somewhat like her – acts as an avatar for her own particular story. “As I grow older, I still dream of my own life’s journey, only to find out it is very much comparable to the “Wizard of Oz,” says Garcia. In this exhibit, this Dorothy doll still follows a certain path, just like the yellow brick road, but this time, in her dreams, the path is made out of hair. She also meet different people. just like how Dorothy ended up meeting the Tin Man, The Lion and the Scarecrow. She then learns a lot of new things and engaging life lessons.

“This dream symbolizes how we perceive life in its amazing but cruel forms,” says Garcia. “The path made out of long hair may symbolize life or our attitude towards every situation. Like the human hair, we can change the style of how we live, cut it short, color it differently, let it grow longer and longer, tie it up tightly or just let it be blown by the wind. You decide, after all, it is your life isn’t it? The Tin Man, The Lion and The Scarecrow symbolizes the different people along the journey called life. They may be very different from us yet we consider them getting close to our hearts. These people are important and essential people that change our lives one way or another whether we realize it or not.”

Aesthetically, the artist blends a pop sensibility with a burgeoning realist approach. The painings betray a certain subtle sensitivity that connects with larger themes of dream, identity, and journeys. It is a hauntingly beautiful style that shows that, even at a young age, Garcia possesses the talent that can make waves in the contemporary art scene.

“OZ: Behind The Seen” will run until May 26, Tuesday.