Galerie Joaquin and Rockwell Plant March 27, 2026
Thoughts This Night - Reminiscing Similar Nights
Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™
March 28, 2026
a few minutes from my home. the skyline has definitely changed through the years.
Also interesting just across from Rockwell Plant they have Proscenium theater that plays tonite Alice Reyes' Tales of the Manuvu and tomorrow, followed by Manila Improv Festival 2026, Maestro Class of music and classical instruments the coming days and months and fireworks. Reminds me of my stay at Times Square and Soho 20 years ago. Maybe I wished it too much... not missing it anymore.
My 'pamangkins' would be here performing when they are young adults. Atm Proscenium vicinty after going around galleries tonite. Just unwinding with draft beer and better company. lol Vibing open air and loud music.
Galerie Joaquin and Rockwell Plant March 27, 2026
Following the success of Ame, where the language of the soul unfolded through resin and near-luminescence, this new body of work turns a world outward but an expansion. The Chrysalis is not a departure but a radiant movement with intention, gathering radiance. Color enters with memories, gilded and luminous becomes both ground and atmosphere, a field of light with the secrecy and allure alchemical. Long floods the miracle of transformation, where something fragile remains unseen. What once existed must dissolve before it can rise. These works inhabit suspended blooms, and swirling wings, textured passages. Yet the butterflies never dominate the scene. Their presence remains remembered within the material of flight. Transformation is not declared but quietly inscribed into the surface.
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Interpretation
Core themes
- Transformation — the text frames the series as a process of dissolution and rebirth, using the chrysalis and butterfly as metaphors for change that is gradual and interior.
- Light and materiality — repeated references to near-luminescence, gilded, and field of light emphasize how the works use surface, sheen, and color to carry meaning.
- Memory and restraint — color “enters with memories,” and the butterflies are remembered rather than foregrounded, suggesting restraint and layered narrative rather than literal depiction.
Imagery and technique
- Resin and luminosity from the earlier Ame imply glossy, translucent surfaces; the new work likely builds on that with gilding and textured passages to create depth.
- Phrases like suspended blooms and swirling wings point to organic, kinetic forms captured in static material—motion implied through texture and light.
Tone and curatorial intent
- The statement is quietly poetic and deliberately non‑didactic: transformation is “not declared but quietly inscribed,” which invites slow looking and personal interpretation rather than a single reading.
- The artist positions Chrysalis as an expansion of prior work, signaling continuity and evolution rather than rupture.
How to experience the work
- Look for subtle shifts in surface—areas where light changes the reading of color or texture.
- Notice what is suggested rather than shown: motifs (butterflies, wings) may be embedded in material rather than rendered explicitly.
- Sit with a piece long enough for the “near‑luminescence” to register; these works reward time and changing viewpoints.
Questions to deepen engagement
- What does the artist mean by “gathering radiance”? Where does light seem to originate in the work?
- Which elements feel like memory and which feel like present action?
- How does the material surface carry narrative compared with representational imagery?
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Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™ curatorial writing practice exemplifies this path: transforming grief into infrastructure, evidence into agency, and memory into resistance. As the Philippines enters a new economic decade, such work is not peripheral—it is foundational.
I'm trying to complement my writings with helpful inputs and prompts. Bear with me as I am treating this blog as repositories and drafts.
Please comment and tag if you like my compilations visit www.amielroldan.blogspot.com or www.amielroldan.wordpress.com
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A multidisciplinary Filipino artist, poet, researcher, and cultural worker whose practice spans painting, printmaking, photography, installation, and writing. He is deeply rooted in cultural memory, postcolonial critique, and in bridging creative practice with scholarly infrastructure—building counter-archives, annotating speculative poetry like Southeast Asian manuscripts, and fostering regional solidarity through ethical art collaboration.
Recent show at ILOMOCA
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Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™ started Independent Curatorial Manila™ as a nonprofit philanthropy while working for institutions simultaneously early on.
The Independent Curatorial Manila™ or ICM™ is a curatorial services and guide for emerging artists in the Philippines. It is an independent/voluntary services entity and aims to remain so. Selection is through proposal and a prerogative temporarily. Contact above for inquiries.
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