FOR visual artist Ombok Villamor, art is about flow — the flow of time, the flow of energy, the flow of ideas. His latest exhibit titled “Liquescent” led him through continuous exploration as a way of constantly evolving.
The latest works featured in the exhibit have become much more intuitive and spontaneous as Villamor renders the gestures of these movements through his art. The works are highly-personal, while at the same time a rediscovery of revealing new shapes and forms to impart to the audience their own experiences and engage with their own personal narratives.
The artist’s latest series expresses introspective notions of acceptance and certitude, combined with an external need for flow and balance, through the use of unrestrained elements and colors. Villamor invites the audience to give their eyes a moment of beauty, curiosity, and discovery in his paintings, being able to revisit them and find new details each time.
Essentially, Villamor views his art practice as an evolving inquiry. Inspired by nature where the psyche is pulled into experiencing every curve, movement, and texture by being present in any given moment, Ombok Villamor paints not what is seen but what is sensed — rendering certain transcendent moments for the viewer to perceive what is beyond this world.
Rustom Cleofe “Ombok” Villamor (b.1979) is a product of North West Samar State University, where he graduated with a degree in Architecture. A professional graphic artist, Ombok has gained recognition from a variety of award-giving bodies, including being a Finalist in the Non-Representational Category at the 2015 GSIS Art Competition, which is an important competition for artists in the Philippines, and a Semi-Finalist in the Oil Category of the 2002 Art Petron National Student Art Competition. A proud Visayan, his works have been included in the prestigious VIVA EXCON Biennale in Bohol and Bacolod. His works are regularly showcased in ManilArt.
Ombok Villamor’s oeuvre is characterized by fascinating abstractions of life-forms. The resulting paintings are organic narratives that bring out the rich dynamism and energy of life. This is keeping with the artist’s own explorations of nature–particularly his experience living on the shores of his native Samar in central Philippines. The ethereal paintings are most reminiscent of the country’s sea-life, a direct link to the artist’s roots, but they also celebrate the delights of other life-forms.
“Liquescent” by Ombok Villamor will run until July 7 at Galerie Joaquin and is located at R3 Level, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati City.
