Circle of Life: Kenneth Montegrande’s 17th Solo Exhibition Opens at Galerie Joaquin Rockwell
Kenneth Montegrande, a self-taught Filipino abstract painter launched his 17th solo exhibition at Galerie Joaquin Rockwell on March 24, 2023. Montegrande is the first Southeast Asian artist whose works have been collected by Japanese billionaire and distinguished art collector Yusaku Maezawa, and whose works are included in the Tokyo-based Contemporary Art Foundation. In that collection, his work is in the company of a world record-breaking Basquiat, as well as select works of internationally renowned artists like Bruce Nauman and Alexander Calder.
It is becoming a tradition for Kenneth Montegrande to mark his birthdays with a solo exhibition. In 2021, he celebrated his birthday with the solo exhibition Great Expectations, also with Galerie Joaquin, to mark not only his birthday, but his second lease at life, after recovering from an alarming case of covid which confined him to the emergency room for a few weeks.
This 2023, he celebrates his birthday with “Circle of Life”, his 17th solo exhibition and the first one after his year-long celebration of his first decade in art. Coincidentally, it is with quite a surprising parallel to “Great Expectations” as he has just recently recovered from the same infection but thankfully, milder. Birthdays, as a marker of one’s own life, make us introspect about the meaning of our existence. Coupled by the very recent reminder of his own mortality, Montegrande has created eighteen abstract works on circular canvas, his first time to show such in an exhibition, and three cloudscapes to mark the occasion, totaling to 21 new works.
In “Circle of Life”, each abstract work is inspired by quotes from leaders and other respected personages whose wisdom, passion, and overall success tell us that they are worth emulating. They have made the most of their lives as their achievements prove. It is in this train of thought, for example, that Montegrande created the work “It Goes On” based on Robert Frost’s quote “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” Or for that matter, Jack Kerouac’s “Keep calm and carry on,” is translated to a painting that has the same exact title. But not all are as directly corresponding as these, for example Frank Lloyd Wright’s “The Longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes,” is transformed by Montegrande as an artwork entitled “Grateful in Everything.” And Mario Fernandez’s “Rise above the storm and you will find the sunshine” into Montegrande’s “Rise to Shine.” Using inspiring quotes as a trigger for painting has been one of the ways that the artist made some earlier works. And the confidence and maturity show in the bold strokes and impastos that mark the abstract works for this exhibition.
Quite noticeable is the conscious effort to present the works on a circular canvas. Associated with fullness, abundance, and eternity, Montegrande chose the format to highlight the idea that though life can be seen as a cycle of giving and taking, of beginnings and endings, of constant changes, there is one thing that can be relied on, the unending and constant love of God, from which Montegrande attributes all good things as blessings, including this year added to his life.
The three cloud-and-sea scapes, which Montegrande is also known for, also symbolize his optimism and faith, that despite the darkness and uncertainty, the constant presence and love of God allows us to remain steadfast. Following the tradition of JMW Turner of the dramatic landscapes, combined with chiaroscuro influenced by Rembrandt, Montegrande’s seascapes invoke vastness and leave viewers with a feeling of smallness in relation to the greatness of the Divine. For Montegrande, these works are a constant reminder for the need to center ourselves, and to see the Divine in his daily life.
“Circle of Life” is Kenneth Montegrande’s first solo exhibition which starts his second decade in art. In the exhibition we see a maturity in his art coupled with a commitment to move forward in his art. We see an optimism born of experience, as well as a deep-rooted faith as the anchors of his artmaking.
The exhibition will run until March 30, 2023 at Galerie Joaquin Rockwell. The gallery is located at R3 Level, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati. For inquiries, contact Galerie Joaquin at +63 915 414 5502 or email [email protected].
Photos courtesy of Kenneth Montegrande
