Joy Mallari's works are about people's histories – both personal and communal – intertwine with that of other peoples'. So when nations are born out of these engagements and encounters, their collective narratives are all unexpectedly layered and complex. We share histories, hold on to heritage of other races as our own, acknowledge ourselves as proud descendants of hybrid cultures that are susceptible to change and intervention, even as we are also products of the unlikely union of a dominating force and a subjugated one.
Mallari's paintings are all formally composed, symmetrical in more instances and frontally presented. These indicate illustrative, descriptive and even comparative efforts in the presentation of visual/ thematic ideas.
Sample Artwork:
The Hunt
Oil on Canvas
52 × 40 inches (2008)
Exhibit:
Ladies First May 25 to June 8, 2008 Art Space, Singapore
