Shaytel Padillo (SL)

Curatorial Rationale

The theme of my art exhibition is “Family”. I chose this theme as my way to express my internal struggles in dealing with my family and the definition of the term “family”. This theme brought me to explore the different perspectives of others during their personal and social issues in dealing with their own situation. When I first started painting my first art piece, I was very clueless about what I should choose to make my message speak out to the audience and all that I thought of was me, my emotions, and my experiences in life. Most of my artworks have an emphasis on the texture of my pieces, I wanted to use them to make the art pieces feel more realistic and give a sense of the rare emotions behind the art pieces.

The six artworks that are being shown are divided into two in expressing my own emotions and that which others can relate to. The artwork that are based on my experiences are “I wish”, Breakfree, and Remember me. Three artworks are symbolized as my own freedom, pain, and memories through my path of my family. “I wish” is an acrylic spray paint portrait of two silhouettes of a family symbolizing the yearning of familial love as I yearn for a true feeling of being loved by my own family as I felt the missing piece of me in having a better relationship with them. Breakfree is a mixed-media landscape of a ballerina for their fragility and expressiveness and showing the world her vulnerability through her feathered wings. Remember me is a wood sculpture of my own grandmother as it represents one’s longing to remember family roots and the maker’s yearning to pay homage to a loved one in a memorable way.

The heartbroken burn, my possession, and My word to you portray a variety of what could be perceived as universal perspectives on their human struggles. The heartbroken burn is inspired by the idea of the “mirror, mirror on the wall” show in Snow White which represents the desires of the audience. It is also used to reflect what is inside oneself such as anger or happiness. My possession is a collection of photographs displaying the ways in which Filipinos involve themselves in dangerous practices just for money. My word to you is a mixed-media piece illustrating the positive sayings that people need despite the negative information that can be found on the internet and social media. Overall, all my pieces are inspired by real-life experiences and observations.