The Filipino woman is the light, the life, the love that links families, and the source of inspiration for many a tribute. She is also the embodiment of strength, courage, grace, and beauty far beyond what the eye can see.
The Filipino woman is the inspiration for the body of work that Maryrose Gisbert is presenting. Set against brightly-colored and richly-textured canvases, with moods ranging from serious to playful, even whimsical, her subjects possess huge eyes that express a wealth of emotions. Eyes that can draw the beholder to explore what these women do, what they feel, and what they desire.
Gisbert hopes that this exhibition will serve as a proper tribute to the Filipino woman, and likewise encourage the viewers to offer their own.
From her favorite Disney cartoons, Maryrose Gisbert’s scope of influences broadened. She has always been fascinated by Picasso’s figures, and also loves the colors and textures of Van Gogh’s later work. Her work eventually took on a style that has become her own. She would rather paint subjects as her mind’s eye sees them, opting not to do realism, describing her style as abstract impressionism. She began drawing people and animals with wide-eyed faces. From these, Gisbert’s subjects have evolved to wide-eyed empowered females with attitudes…fierce, independent, yet compassionate and nurturing.
Gisbert is an active member of The Saturday Group of Artists, participating in the group’s regular exhibitions, as well as in selectively curated shows. Her artworks are on display and on sale in a top-notch Paris-based online gallery, Singulart Gallery. She continues to run her home-studio-turned-art classroom called the Creative Hands Art Workshop, where she is the main instructor. Aside from her young, young-at-heart and differently-abled students, she takes in underprivileged but talented students whom she adopts as her scholars.
Beyond the workshops and weekly sessions at The Saturday Group, Gisbert has participated in countless exhibitions, both as a solo artist, and as part of a group, here and internationally: ICM Art Fair, Hong Kong, Lakbay Sining sa Amerika, and Pista ng Kulay, New York, Contemporaneo Filipina, New York. She has also participated in art auctions, helping raise funds for several charities: ICM Art Charity Auction, Hong Kong, Sale for a Cause, Makati Medical Hospital, Stepping Free from Poverty Charity Auction, Hong Kong, Lakbay Sining Art Fair/Charity Auction, Vienna, Austria. She also continues to find ways to improve her craft, from taking lessons from art schools and artists whom she considers as masters.
TRIBUTE TO FILIPINO WOMEN: Power beyond reach, and beauty beyond what the eye can see is a solo exhibition of Filipino visual artist, Maryrose Gisbert. It will be on view from 6 to 19 October 2022 at the ArtistSpace located at Ground Level, Ayala Museum Annex, Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Greenbelt Park, Makati City.
