Deadly Sins

Ramona Dela Cruz-Gaston

December 15, 2018 at 6 PM – 10 PM

Art Underground Manila
814 Balagtas St., Barangay Addition Hills, 1550 Mandaluyong

Ramona Dela Cruz-Gaston takes on a few deadly sins

Capital vices: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth are rendered with vivid detail on canvas. Ramona Dela Cruz-Gaston shares her exploration into a heinous topic, “Deadly Sins.”

Despite the gritty nature of the subject Dela Cruz-Gaston interprets her subject with a matter-of-fact approach. Dela Cruz- Gaston had thoroughly immersed herself in research in order to gain a deeper perspective into each of the seven capital sins. Using mood music and watching documentaries placed her in the shoes of people who have committed sins. Being in this trance like state has helped her channel ideas fluidly onto her canvas.

Influenced by her previous collaboration with Froilan Calayag, Dela Cruz-Gaston incorporates the use of graphite on canvas which she finds technically challenging. Dela Cruz-Gaston adapted this process in order to push herself beyond her comfort as she works on a subject that she has long planned to paint on canvas.

This immersion into the subject has led her to spontaneously compose the elements in each of her works. Her culminating piece titled “Deadly sins” capture that spontaneity in drawing elements. Unlike her repeating patternesque compositions which we see in her previous works this piece shows that Gaston is capable of flexing her skill in painting a full non-repeating composition.

The entire collection of “Deadly sins” make use of orange tints for its overall look. This may allude to either the fires of hell or the color of human flesh. Whichever way one looks at the work, Dela Cruz-Gaston rendered illustrations using graphite appear like scars on flesh.

In each piece, the apple is the focal element on the canvas, a reminder of the ancestral sin that was borne of Eve offering Adam the forbidden fruit.

“Deadly Sins” by Ramona Dela Cruz Gaston opens at Art Underground on December 15, Saturday at 6pm. We are located at 814 Balagtas St., Barangay Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City. For more information call us at 721 0745 or 0917523 7463. Email artundergroundmanila@gmail.com