THE streams of crumples and wrinkles in which shadows flow, the palpable texture of worn-out cloth, the faded characters, the vibrant memories. What stands out from Isko Andrade’s latest exhibition is not just the artist’s hyperrealist skills in depicting clothes using oil on canvas, but also his ability to dress the subjects with the intimacy of his personal memories.
Pamilya serves as the title as well as the inspiration for the second solo of the young artist from Bulacan. Presented by Ysobel Art Gallery, the exhibition opened yesterday and runs until March 10 at Yuchengco Museum in Makati City.
“Isko Andrade’s second solo show has been more than a year in the making,” says Ysobel Art Gallery owner Patrice Tiongco. “A collaborative journey between the gallery and the artist, it showcases Andrade’s strength not just in hyperrealist techniques, but in creating cohesive, powerful and empathetic narratives. Most personal to him, each exhibition piece is a tribute of love to his family.”
The exhibition celebrates the special women in the artist’s life. After being abandoned by his father, Andrade basked in the light his mother and two sisters have shone in their home. He often wonders why women, particularly single mothers, are not held in as high regard as men in terms of being head of the family. Thus, Pamilya aims to correct that injustice by recognizing his heroines.
The show features garments that represent Andrade’s female family members. There’s the gathered dress of his mother, the office attire of his older sister, the school uniform of his younger sister, and the Sunday’s best of his nieces.
In Pamangkin (Kanika), Andrade captures the tenderness and innocence of a child—his sister’s—by portraying a baby’s onesie in great hyperrealist depiction. The same goes for most of the other pieces, including the flowing hangered duster dresses of his mother in Nanay (Ethel).
“Over the years, we witnessed [Andrade’s] personal and artistic growth, and saw his sense of hard work, dedication and commitment to his craft,” said Tiongco. “When we finally finalized the concept of the show more than a year ago, we knew that his second solo exhibition, particularly the depth of story behind it, needs to be presented to a wide variety of audience.”
Tiongco added: “The walls of the Yuchengco Museum are perfect blank pages for his visual narratives, with a space that can beautifully reverberate his personal stories.”
As for Ysobel Art Gallery’s upcoming exhibitions, Tiongco said that plans are still being finalized. In the pipeline is another exhibition at Yuchengo Museum: a Sid Natividad solo in May. Meanwhile, lined up next month is a group exhibition to celebrate Ysobel Art Gallery’s 10th anniversary.
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