Hello! As I said in the last post, I’ll be having my first solo exhibit soon. It’s called Excavations from the End of the World, and I wanted to make you feel like rifling through the remnants of an apocalyptic event, like the last remaining archaeologist.

Douglas Adams ascribed a new meaning to ‘ahenny,’ which points to the way people stand when they look at other people’s bookshelves. I just wanted to mention that because it generates a certain image of the type of work I’m going to make, and how people will respond to them. At least in my head.

WHEN: December 6, 2011, 6pm.
WHERE: West Gallery, 48 West Avenue, Quezon City
MAP:

If you go, you’ll also see new work by my brother, Luis Santos, Frederick Sausa and Kaloy Sanchez. They are some of my favorite artists, no biases. I posted about Sausa’s and Sanchez’ work before. Also, I will feed you food and beer.

If you can’t make it to opening night, it’s still going to be up until the end of the year (December 31). Let me know if you’re going to pass by, so I can say hi!

Thanks for reading, and I hope I see you there!

Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday, 9am – 6pm.
Telephone: +63 2 411 0336
Fax: +63 2 411 9221
Email: info@westgallery.com

———

These are some of my old pieces, but they’re pretty close to the kind of work I’m making for this show:

From Manilart.

From a group show.

Thou asketh for space, and thou wast givest. Or something.

Since I didn’t have my own room (I share with my sister), I asked for this huge table that nobody used. I’ve been spending my time there when I want into my “Work Zone,” but I was caught in a flurry of trips that led to it being really, really messy. I haven’t properly moved in yet, but here are some photos anyway.

I don’t know what this cubby hole thing used to be for, but I asked for it, and now I keep my Washi tape, Dymo thingums, and bits and pieces of paper, such as important Field Notes notebooks, which fit snugly into each pocket.

First instinct was to dump everything on this fine, fine desk. The problem is that because it has so much stuff on top of it, I have resorted to working on the floor.

This is a preview of my upcoming show, I guess! Please try to save the night of December 6 for me. I will feed you. :)

The idea is that once I get a breather, I fix this space up really good. It’s a temporary set-up, but it’s the best place I currently have access to, so I might as well make it mine.

Also: I should get used to ghosts, as this area is reportedly haunted. It’s a little problematic, because I find myself scrambling down a staircase at 4:30 in the morning with half-done projects, scared out of my wits because my brain has started to malfunction. BUT I WILL OVERCOME.

Mostly because I have to.

MANILA, Philippines – Tiger Translate, a cross-cultural movement that has taken the world by storm, set its claws on Philippine shores last Friday. Held at KYSS bar on Makati Avenue, Tiger Translate kicked off its celebration of creativity with positively electric sets played by Turbo Goth as well as a live graffiti battle between Nuno and Ekis, both from KST Philippines.

We arrived just in time for a round of giveaways. The place was packed with people ready for a taste of Manila creativity and, of course, of Tiger Beer. Originally from Singapore, Tiger Beer has actually been available in select bars in Manila, but it doesn’t seem like a staple in many Filipino gatherings. It’s a light brew that goes down pretty smoothly, and very good when served ice-cold.

KYSS was adorned with Tiger-inspired pieces from all over the world, showing the breadth and extent of talents worldwide. There was a surge of excitement and a swell of pride as I was looking through the makeshift gallery. There were submissions from Australia, Korea, the UK, Singapore, the Philippines, and many other countries. The astounding part is that they all converged in the same area all of them different from each other but ultimately connected.

They themselves have proclaimed it: Tiger’s mission is to create a massive creative explosion instigated by this exposure to various cultures and experiences. They’ve picked emerging artists who create work that’s engaging and inspiring. They want to see how these things can come together, and they want to take the rest of the world along for the ride. Tiger Translate is all about posibilities discovering, creating, and reacting to them.

The first Tiger Translate in Manila was just a peek into the world of Filipino artists wild, understated, bold, and unpredictable. It’s also good exposure to the kind of work that’s being made all over the world. I, for one, am excited to see the rest. — SUPREME, The Philippine Star, 26 November 2011.

———

Tiger Translate has a couple more events coming up in Manila. Stay tuned for announcements by following @TranslateMNL on Twitter and http://tigertranslatemanila.tumblr.com. For more information, visit http://tigertranslate.com.

photos under the cut

I know it’s probably in bad taste to post a wishlist (for Christmas, no less!) after an unintentional hiatus, but I have my reasons. Just kidding, I don’t really. But the point is, this is mostly what I want for Christmas, in case anyone wants to get me anything.

Usually, it sort of serves as a personal checklist for me to tick off stuff I eventually end up buying for myself. I’m a terrible online shopper—I don’t mark the things I want, but I end up buying things out of impulse.

In any case, I will tell you what I want, what I really, really want.

A KINDLE.

The cheapest one on the market—not the Touch or the Fire.
I’m probably going to buy this for myself,
but here is a placeholder for you, you sexy thing.

A FIELD NOTES COLORS SUBSCRIPTION

Mostly because the price dropped ($97 from $129, darn it!),
and I’m a bit wary of purchasing another set,
because those notebooks come in more frequently than I can use them up.

This only means that I am not writing enough, really.
But. We’ll see. I usually give in anyway.

I mean, have you seen the colors?

XACTO Basic Set (Precision Knives)

I would love to say that I need this for my craft, and I do.
It’s just that I also want it because of the fun I can have with it.

Lomokino

A Lomography camera that takes microfilms. How awesome is that.

I would, however, settle for some film, though.
Quite partial to XPro Chrome.

AND THE OBVIOUS CONTENDERS:
books, DVDs, LPs, magazine subscriptions, art, money

Snail mail would be nice. I used to post my mailing address for all to see, but I now realize how that is an invitation for potentially creepy situations, so I’m thinking the better of it. I thought about getting a P.O. box, briefly, but then I thought—who the heck would send you mail?

If you, however, have sent me mail: my address is the same and I would love to hear from you. I promise to write back. Honest! Art trades, mix trades, words trades. I would love to connect with out off of the internet, and off of computers.

If you would like to know my address but are a n00b in my life (aka, potential creeper), send me an email first, and then we’ll see. I live in a compound with at least twenty other people, so it would be very hard to creep on me.

ANYWAY. I am not really a fan of materialism, but if anybody wanted to get me anything, here is some help. I don’t really like gag gifts. Don’t waste your money.

Anything you particularly want for Christmas? Honestly, I just want that Kindle.

In a lovely turn of events, I have been surrounded by new book projects, all of which are personal. It’s no secret that I love books. In fact, some may argue that I hoard them (which is probably true), so I’m so, so glad that I’ve been doing these book-related things, given that I haven’t really had much time to read this year.

First of all, there’s Recovery, which is a project with Cat. It’s an idea that’s been brewing in her cute little noggin’ and I loved it so much, I asked if I could join in. The main thing is that we really want to create a good atmosphere for Philippine literature by reviewing as many as we can, as well as “recovering” them.

I know we’re not alone in thinking that Philippine graphic design—at least, in terms of books—needs a little sprucing up. We have a lot of plans for this little thing, and we’re so glad for the encouraging words and expressed interest in Recovery.

We are going to be using this Twitter account and this Facebook page for updates, so if this is the kind of thing you’re into, please join the fun.

I’m also slowly updating Book Report, which was my book blog. I think I honestly read more (and “better”) when I kept a log and attempted reviews. I’m not the most intellectual person, and I get swayed easily if a sentence sounds right, but I do love books, and I miss talking about them.

The latest entry is about my October reads, illustrated volumes by Craig Thompson and Sanjay Patel. I like both because they are culturally unfamiliar territories to me, so it was a nice kind of change from what I usually read. You can read it here, if you are interested.

Last, but not the least—Read Hard. Read Hard is a book club that Zet started. I offered to help out with moderating it, when she chose “Everything Is Illuminated” as the first book. (Hehe.) And the followers just skyrocketed until we didn’t really know what to do with ourselves. Truthfully, that was probably our only successful round. A possible revival is still in the works, but I’m hoping to get it started again. It really was a nice community of readers.

That’s it! I know that sounds like a lot, but I breathe books anyway (not like this lady does, though), so it doesn’t feel like too much work.

I hope you check these out, though, especially if you love books, and if you love talking about them.

A few updates, I suppose. Sometimes, I need these assessment things to kind of prove to myself that I’m actually doing things. It’s kind of hard to remember when you are in charge of your time, and it seems like a lot of it goes to television and eating and invasive Tumblr memes.

Above: Lunar Landing, 2011. This: Science Year, 2011.

After Hours, 2011.

Missya (detail), 2011. This is a small part of a whole, which happens to be a part of a big series.

Aside from these things, I’ve been quite busy with client work, which I am thankful for. But sometimes, I feel like crashing my head through a wall. Sometimes, it really pays off, though. One of my recent projects is called Roadtrip Zambales, which is an effort to draw more people to beautiful Zambales! Here is the teaser. I had nothing to do with it, but it’s beautiful nonetheless.

Other exciting things also happened in the week that was, but I’m a bit too tired and knackered to talk about them. After all, it’s half past four in the morning. Lately, I’ve been thinking about my place in the world and it just depresses me. It depresses me that I constantly feel like I’m not doing enough and  that people look down on me. It’s really just ramblings of an ex-high school loser, but sometimes, it really can’t be helped. It’s been growing more intensely, and I don’t know what to do, so I bury myself in work and t.v. and lots and lots of tea. Anyway.

Until then, I hope you enjoy these. I’ll be back with exciting new projects, and perhaps pictures. Good night.