Art Lounge Manila is proud to present “Celestial,” a solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist and architect Jomike Tejido, running until July 30, 2025 at The Podium in Ortigas.
Marking his 25th solo exhibition, Celestial is a luminous reflection on gratitude, time, and creative evolution. In this body of work, Tejido turns his gaze skyward—toward the heavens, toward cycles of day and night, and toward the intangible yet powerful forces that shape our paths. Through vibrant color fields, flowing organic forms, and sculptural kinetic mobiles, Celestial celebrates life’s seen and unseen elements with reverence and joy.
“As this is a Thanksgiving show, I wanted to express gratitude to a higher power,” Tejido shares. “We often look up for hope and guidance—and that upward gaze became a central gesture in this collection. Celestial is my way of honoring that journey.”
At the heart of the exhibition are two large paintings—Celestial Gratitude (Day) and Celestial Gratitude (Night)—which explore dualities of light and shadow, motion and stillness. Warm ochres, luminous golds, and coral tones evoke the vitality of sunlight, while violets, deep blues, and silvery hues suggest introspection under starlight. These abstract landscapes are populated with joyful recurring motifs—floating mushrooms, floral bursts, soft-edged orbs—that represent abundance, calm, and imaginative freedom. Carefully structured yet emotionally intuitive, the works reflect Tejido’s background in architecture, visible in the precise layering, balanced grids, and symbolic repetition.
“Even though my compositions are abstract, I approach each canvas like a building façade—planned, structured, and detailed,” he says. “But unlike architecture, in art, I’m free to build worlds where emotion leads.”
Adding a new dimension to his practice, Celestial also debuts Tejido’s all-metal hanging mobiles—kinetic sculptures inspired by his painted motifs, suspended from the gallery’s soaring ceilings. These moving elements continue the narrative of upward motion and spiritual openness. “They’re like pieces of my canvases floating off the wall,” he notes. “They bring energy, movement, and that sense of looking up—of hope and inspiration.”
With his signature blend of structure and spontaneity, Tejido invites us into a cosmos of color, motion, and meaning. Celestial is not just a visual experience—it’s an emotional one. “If people walk away with a feeling of thankfulness, or if they recognize a piece of their life in the mood of a painting—that’s enough.”
