West Gallery

Mark Andy Garcia

So Near, Yet So Far | May 6 - June 11 | 48 West Avenue (Gallery 1)

Mark Andy Garcia found God in the most unusual and unlikeliest places, Saudi Arabia, and this discovery is highlighted in the seven works on canvas and 12 works on paper that are on view at West Gallery (Quezon City) beginning May 6 (and running through June 11).

In So Near, Yet So Far, Garcia focuses on the people behind the Metropolitan Bible Baptist Church located in Al-Khobar, where he worked, and his experiences as a Christian living in a foreign land. When he returned to the Philippines, he considered himself rich, not in material possessions, but in spiritual assets.

Most of the portraits feature Garcia’s favorite Bible verses. “Self-Portrait with Double-Edged Sword,” inspired by Acts 1:8, alludes to how the Holy Spirit can fill one with passion and power. “Kuya Ganie and His Double-Edged Sword” follows the same theme, though, this time, it also conveys the power of the Word of God, as referenced in Hebrews 4:12. “Preacher Kuya Louie” is Garcia’s pastor, whom he looks up to like an older brother. Garcia likes to include in his portraits reminders or features he remembers of his subject, such as skin color or specific gestures. “Kuya Jerry’s Mansion” speaks more about the spiritual abundance as a product of one’s vocation, and the roses in the painting signify Jerry’s wife and two children. “Old Man with Bible” is filled with blots and bold strokes. The 3′ x 4′ piece, done in oil on paper, is a tribute to men, who, through their old age, still read the Bible every day. Its soft textures give the painting a transcendent quality. “Kuya Jerry Preaching the Gospel” is another reference to the church leader’s dedication to his work. Then there is “Kuya Ganie and Tin-tin the Song Leader,” showing how they guide people through music and scripture as forms of prayer.

Garcia, 23, proves that he can devote as much time and attention to his faith as he does to his art. This exhibit captures his brief stay in Saudi Arabia, especially the people who made his life there so spiritually rewarding. “Angelo” draws inspiration from Garcia’s roommate and his longing to be home. Garcia recalls the blank stares of his roommate, evoking the pain of being away from loved ones. In his young career, he has already shown such a unique pictorial vocabulary and spatial orientation and depth.

A graduate of fine arts, majoring in advertising, at Technological University of the Philippines, Garcia is one of the 10 finalists at the Philippine Art Awards and a grand prize winner at the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence competition (oil painting category) in 2007.

View Exhibition