More than just falling under the genre of children’s literature, fairy tales now transcend being initially written for young children. With numerous television and film adaptations readily available to all, this particular form of entertainment for all ages has become a visual rendering that can be accessed easily and repeatedly even on our mobile phones.
The big screen adaptations of classic fairy tales from 1937’s first feature-length animated film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” all the way to 2019’s “Frozen II” and even 2021’s “Encanto” continue to enthrall us with their familiar imagery and music. The stories also encourage us to find ways to embody our own inner princess/heroine. We are inspired to dream big and overcome challenges and trials and find our purpose.
With stories ranging from being royal by birth, royal by marriage or people doing heroic deeds, the female central figures are complex and multifaceted. They come from different backgrounds and cultures and show characteristics of innate goodness, resilience, and independence. While some characters have magical powers and abilities, others oftentimes rely on their intelligence, resourcefulness and determination to go through what they need to face.
Visual Artist Astrid Castillo-Almario revisits one of her favorite themes, fairy tales, in an exhibition highlighting the fascinating back stories of our beloved childhood heroines through the intricate yet delicate rendering of their costumes. Taking off from her 2023 exhibit titled “Timeless”, she continues to do an even more in depth exploration of some of the princesses and heroines of these big screen adaptations. Ironically much like Astrid herself, some of the characters she has chosen to feature in this second iteration of her Timeless series are women who challenge the traditional societal archetypes.
On the other hand, Visual Artist JepoyAlmario delves into how stillness as a concept beautifully co exists with motion, as seen in and through the art of dance. He shows the presence of both strength and fragility, power and vulnerability, control and letting go through how he presents his subjects.
Stillness is seen as pure calmness, devoid of feeling or sensation and existing relative to the measurement of space and time. From the Middle English word stillness via the Old English stilnes, meaning “silence, absence of noise or disturbance, tranquillity, or quietness”, it is a goal that one wishes to obtain to gain insight and understanding of themselves. Motion on the other hand is the “the action or process of movement or of changing place or position”.
An artist who truly understands the womanly form and celebrates it in his art, Almario aims to show how dancers can be expressive and communicative through movement yet maintain their serenity within. He highlights the technique and discipline that each position entails as the dancers gracefully convey stories and emotions through their bodies.
‘Timeless II” and “Stillness in Motion” run from September 26-October 13 at Galerie Joaquin Rockwell. Galerie Joaquin Rockwell is located at the R3 Level of Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati.
