Richard Tuason
January 21 – 31, 2022
Art Underground
814 Balagtas St., Barangay Addition Hills, 1550 Mandaluyong
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Notable for their steadfast loyalty and obedience, dogs are consistent in channeling strong manifestations of reliance. Grounded by his religious beliefs, Richard Tuason acknowledges the mammal being mentioned multiple times in the Bible, hence its relevance in the themes of determining life’s purpose. Tuason further explores this in his exhibition entitled “In Dogs We Trust.”
Through this exhibit, Tuason immerses in his transition from aversion to attachment for dogs. Wittingly using wordplay for the well-known phrase “In God We Trust,” the artist examines the concept of putting dogs in authority, allowing themselves to embody such dignified existence. Then again, humans as the masters usually stand on the higher platform of command. As social beings and loyal servants, dogs seem to surpass expectations with the ability to read human emotions, understand languages, and even dabble in playful trickery. With this, dogs tend to be social mirrors reflecting the human’s image as beings. With his medium of ink on paper, the artist creates a series of dog packs, crossbreeds, facial merges with famous artists, and predators, encompassing topics of solidified relationships, reciprocated friendships, and belief in instincts.
Tuason and his artworks encourage a dialogue between two different species vis-à-vis the interest of anthropology versus anthrozoology. As he puts it, one tries to understand animals and yet sometimes negate the conscious effort for self-awareness, thus acknowledging the unwavering trust given to dogs. The artist shares this quote by Theresa Fisher, “It turns out that dogs rely on humans more than they do their own kind for affection, protection and everything in between.”
[Write-up by Deseree Mangulabnan]
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“In Dogs We Trust” by Richard Tuason is on view at Art Underground located at 814 Balagtas St., Barangay Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City from January 21 -31, 2022. Email us at artundergroundmanila@gmail.com for inquiries.
Richard John Tuason (b. 1976) is a multidisciplinary artist whose oeuvre spans many forms, including drawing, painting, assemblage, installation, and sound sculpture. He has participated in numerous group shows around the metro and has mounted well-received solo exhibitions. Tuason’s aesthetic engagements move through a consistent habit: the minimal strokes of straight, parallel, and perpendicular lines. His works and compositions form assembled elements that reflect the depth of his attention to detail. Instead of using his art to explicitly communicate a message, Richard Tuason uses his work as a tool for social experimentation. The artist hopes to gauge if his work posits how individuals value art: whether through the meanings it communicates or through the meanings that can be inferred from them.
