Relics of Grace

“Relics of Grace” by Astrid Castillo-Almario and Nap Limaten at Galerie Joaquin Rockwell. 👗

Galerie Joaquin Rockwell celebrates a poetic, cohesive, and deeply evocative interplay between Nap Limaten’s elegant glass sculptures and Astrid Castillo-Almario’s ephemeral, delicate renderings of dresses and fabric in “Relics of Grace.”

At first glance, the stark contrast between their chosen mediums—solid glass and depictions of soft textile forms—suggests contrast rather than complement. But it is precisely in this difference that a quiet symbiosis emerges. Both artists are united by a shared impulse: to honor what is no longer physically present, by preserving its traces with reverence and grace.

Astrid Castillo-Almario’s works, rendered in translucent layers and delicate strokes, appear caught mid-drift in darkened space. Her weightless garments, suspended in stillness, evoke the ephemeral rituals of dressing and undressing—intimate acts often overlooked but rich with memory. The luminous folds and floating forms speak of absence, yet still full of presence. In counterpoint, Nap Limaten’s glass sculptures capture the silhouette of the dress in another manner—firm, enduring, and crystalline. Each piece seems frozen mid-gesture, embodying movement made permanent.

The absence of the human figures in both artists’ works is not a void, but a deliberate space for emotions. The viewer is invited to step in, to remember, and to feel. Together, Castillo-Almario and Limaten present not individual objects, but reminders that grace is not only in the body, but in its echo – what is left and what ultimately endures. “Relics of Grace” is a meditation on presence, memory, and the beauty of what remains even after moments have passed. Through different materials but a shared sensibility, these works speak to the universal experience of holding onto something through reverence.

“Relics of Grace” will run at Galerie Joaquin Rockwell from June 7-18, 2025 with an Artist Reception on June 11 at 5 pm. 📍The Gallery is located at the R3 Level of Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati.

📩 For inquiries, contact +63 915 4145502 or email galeriejoaquin@gmail.com.