For “Life Behind the Haze,” visual artist Ted Peñaflor aims to portray his personal meditations on life and its idiosyncrasies through the attributes of a cloud. For the artist, these clouds are mere representations of contradictions, calm yet ebbing, as it unfurls and slowly drifts away. Their delicate quality encapsulates the exhibit’s intended conclusion: recognizing beauty while acknowledging its impermanence.
The works for the exhibition serve as the artist’s introspection to the fragility of time. For Ted Peñaflor, clouds resemble the tenuous, ever-changing nature of life. His depictions of fleeting moments rendered in physicality act as a memoir of his experiences in relation to fatherhood. They embody his own emotions— from enchantment to turmoil—though evocative scenes of levitating clouds and clear skies.
“Life behind the Haze” highlights Peñaflor’s understanding of the mysteries of the human psyche, with the clouds serving as metaphor for solace and respite. Each painting tells its own enigmatic story, just like every unique encounter with another person, as it draws the viewer into the detailed areas of the canvas hoping to discover what lies behind the haze.
Ted Peñaflor’s artist inspired by day-to-day-life including childhood memories, family bonding activities, positive reflections, and peculiar life experiences. “Having worked for 15 years with TOEI Animation Phil. got me hooked on looking up at cloud details since my trainee days, “the artist narrates. “The show ‘One Piece’ had a lot of clouds in every episode of it. Simple yet tricky tonal values one would not underestimate to execute to perfectly fit each scene,” Peñaflor concludes.
“Life Behind the Haze” by Ted Peñaflor was on view from July 7 to 18, 2022 at Galerie Joaquin, located at the 3rd level of The Podium, ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.
