“Dragon Boats”, Jomike Tejido’s 20th solo exhibition, is a magnific opus that executes the artist’s keen fascination with sailboats. Serving as a sentimental recall of his childhood, the series comprises Tejido’s familiar yet awe-inspiring concepts; His successful career as a children’s book author perfectly entwines with his degree in Architecture, illustrating fully-realized lines, patterns, and forms that depict abstract narrations of gifted artistry.
In this series, the artist took inspiration from kinship, as he is a third-generation Filipino-Chinese. He dearly recalls the story of his grandfather who migrated by boat to hopefully start a career, despite the difficult times and lack of education. “I recall my grandmother telling me about how he picked up machine parts, fixed them, and sold them. Little by little, it led him to build the family’s hardware store, established in the 1940s.” Says Tejido.
Supported by this memory is the Feng Shui ornament: the dragon boat, believed to carry wealth and luck to one’s home. With this, Tejido adopts the Chinese belief and adapts it to make it not only a belief but an inspiration. For the artist, the dragon boats also carry the hopes and dreams of those people who struggled yet remained, granted their hard work and determination. “And it is that survivalist attitude of grit and determination–passed on to the next generations–where the true wealth lies, because it is inexhaustible and infinite,” Tejido states.
These ideas, inspirations, and themes also led Tejido to the Taoist folklore, “The Eight Immortals Riding a Dragon Boat”, sparking an artistic visualization and leading him to create an eight-panel series inspired by the god-like powers of the characters from the story. Every panel represents an immortal being, connected by a particular form of golden luck such as wealth, knowledge, and fertility to name a few. The centerpiece of the exhibit showcases all eight of the immortals in their nautical journey, with the lush application of gold betokening their superhuman qualities, as well as denoting the golden dragon boat decoration from Feng Shui culture. “The theme fits my imaginative abstraction perfectly, with colors representing various forms of luck,” Tejido mentions.
To top off the luscious exhibit, Tejido introduces the second series of his “Toys of the Avant-garde” — a collection of geometric-abstract wooden dolls representing the grassroots of Filipino-Chinese family businesses. Coining the series title “Family Legacies”, each doll is carefully constructed — hand-built and painted to remind the present and future Filipino-Chinese generations of their hardworking ancestors. These ancestors established modest yet integral industries such as selling fruits, silk, and hardware. And with enough luck, hard work, and determination, these ancestors led future generations to their dignity, wealth, and prosperity.
“Dragon Boats” by Jomike Tejido will be on view from August 8 — 20, 2023 with the Artist Reception on August 11, Friday at 5 PM. Galerie Joaquin BGC is located on the Upper Ground Floor, One Bonifacio High Street Mall, 5th Ave. Corner 28th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
