BY JADE SNOW
“My Own Ground” is a solo exhibition by Roedil “Joe” Geraldo.
When asked about his ideas behind this series of works, he says that “this collection done in acrylic on canvas and acrylic-painted terracotta sculptures is my view on our world today during this coronavirus pandemic. I see many people especially those around me, suffering because of this. I see that those who are in the masses, the poorest, are the ones who suffer the most. Everyone though is affected, not one single person is exempted from the hardships that Covid-19 brought upon us…from food supply, to jobs, to our economy, restrictions in mobility, to many politicians taking advantage yet again of our fellow Filipinos.”
Karina Gonzaga writes that Geraldo is a multi-media artist, who chooses to express his own observations and personal experiences through “social realism crossing on pop realism.” He takes notice of all the things that surround him, from his own neighborhood in Talisay City, to social media like Facebook; he absorbs and channels his opinions and reactions through his art. To those who know him, he is deemed fearless as an artist because he chooses not to focus on what the art market wants but he marches to his own beat.
Geraldo adds that “artists can’t be weak especially in this time of global pandemic. We have to stand up for ourselves, and continue to document and tell our stories especially in this difficult time.”
“My Own Ground” will be up as a digital exhibition starting this week on IG: @block17.artspace and FB: Block17.Art Space. An artist reception will be announced soon.*
