Mind Set Art Center is honored to present “Marina Cruz: Rhythmic Patters” in the gallery’s Project Room. The exhibition consists of the latest oil paintings, embroidery, collage and print works from the Philippina artist. As part of her ongoing effort to explore the memories of her matriarchal family, Cruz records in great detail the items that carry the stories in the family. Her unique narrative paints a complex landscape filled with intertwining stories and the profound reflection on the family house, the female body and life itself.
In “Holes and Circular Forms”, Cruz intentionally erases all traces of the clothes’ owner, and paints a close-up of a part of the clothes, complete with faithful rendering of every smudge, rip and patch of fading color. Such portrayal helps convey the passing of time and how the traces accumulate on this particular piece of clothing as it gets passed down from one generation to the next. In her other series, Marina Cruz surrounds the printed hand-carved images of her mother and aunt on oil-printed cloth with geometrical shapes to add a musical quality to her family’s past memories. The floods, heirlooms and family members all hold a special place in Cruz’s heart. And they have come together in her work to write new chapters. Through her works, Cruz opens up the sense of her own familiarity to the viewers. And their interpretation based on the unique experience of each individual would certain adds a layer of intertextuality to Cruz’s message.
About the Artist
Marina Cruz was born in 1982 in Hagonoy, Bulacan Province, the Philippines. She graduated with honors (cum laude) from the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts in 2003. In 2008, she received the Ateneo Art Awards in the Philippines for her work "Embroidered Landscape of My Mother's life: A Biography," and was granted a research visit to the Visual Arts Center at La Trobe University in Australia, which brought her into the international spotlight. In the same year, she also received the Grand Prize in the Philippines Art Awards and the Morris Awards. In 2012, Marina Cruz was honored with the prestigious Thirteen Artist Award. Her works have been exhibited in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Italy, Germany, and France. In 2021, the solo exhibition "Tide Table", curated by Patrick Flores, was held at the Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts in Taiwan. Her artworks are held in collections at institutions including the Taoyuan Museum of Fine Art, Antho-Life Art Foundation, the Menarco Vertical Museum Art Collection and the Pinto Art Museum.
