"Share The Love"
signed and dated 2024 (lower left)
oil on canvas
84" x 60" (213 cm x 152 cm)






Pongbayog’s Pursuit Mirroring Love On One’s Own Flesh and FolkAmong the contemporary Filipino artists making waves in the current art scene is Pongbayog. Known for his rich and deep monochromatic works, Pongbayog’s artistic practice is novel in its revival of the allure of black and white for modern audiences. Pongbayog’s interest in art came from his father; a farmer who had once dreamed of becoming an artist himself but such plans never fell through. Bayog became fascinated by his father’s dream and technical skills, that he began to teach himself through books he borrowed and read during his high-school years. Pongbayog’s horizons would open up to the world of Renaissance artists and 19th Century French academic painters, instilling in him not only a sense of anatomy and form, but discipline as well. Pongbayog has since mounted and participated in various exhibits. He was among the Filipino artists at the Venice Biennale Personal Structures 2024 organized by the European Cultural Centre under the exhibit "Textures and Interstices." He is also scheduled to mount a solo exhibition at Art Moments in Jakarta in August, and will participate in a group show in London in September. Pongbayog’s foray into Photorealism was initially fuelled by the demand within the art market. But surely enough, Pongbayog’s use of colorful slowly faded away, revealing a deep enchantment with the monochromatic approach. According to him, this shift from color to black and white allowed to paint with more intention, capturing the essence of both the scene and memory within. This particular piece is emblematic of his practice. Titled Share the Love, the work is inspired by Pongbayog’s two daughters who he wishes to, as the title suggests, share the love not only amongst themselves, but also with others. The use of mirror imagery, as seen in the symmetrical reflection of the two figures, acts as a metaphor for Pongbayog’s outlook on the concept of love itself; one that is not only shared but mirrored as well. (Jed Daya)