Strangeness comes in many forms, which can be representatives of diverse belief systems, or symptomatic renditions of the unknown, and even pure fantasy. What do you think constitutes strangeness and where do they come from?

DAVID VIRAY: Sometimes it comes from a narrative, sometimes an image that comes from collective memories with a twist, spice of life. Where they come from— time, space, universe, plants, people, covid, awtsduterte, friends, best friend, God, money, and love, though not necessarily in that order.

ANDREW TAN: Fantasy can exist in contemporary art, fairy tales, folklores and perhaps mythology are under the wide concept of fantasy, as it is something that is not perceived in reality. Art that doesn't exactly depict reality as it is can already have elements of fantasy in it though it might get categorized as such depending on how much is used, nevertheless these kinds of works has a touch of fantasy in it that comes from the imaginative mind of an artist.

MAI SAPORSANTOS: I’ve been thinking about how time is warped and perhaps identifying place or setting when and where, or nowhere? And how this seems to morph in the painting, so I was playing with the illusion of space.

Would you believe that there are other things outside of our perception of normal reality, supposing even extraterrestrial or supernatural existence? Do you think there is a place for this notion in contemporary art?

ANDREW TAN: As such, fantasy is already part of contemporary art as imagination may wander and distort what we can perceive. For the link between painting and mysticism, it depends on the artist and their process, since not all artists think the same, and some will definitely have faith influence their work. Sometimes being apparent in the work and at times can only be known when you ask the artist. As art is subjective, there is no universal answer to it.

PIN CALACAL: Fantasy and the occult definitely can still exist now. As long as there is still so much to know or discover, that there are still things we cannot explain with the knowledge and tools we have now, people will still turn to mythology, the supernatural, the occult and mysticism. Anyway, I think totally dismissing these things is like dismissing possibility altogether or dismissing the idea that something you have yet to know could exist. 

KEVIN BALBOA: Yes, tingin ko ay mayroong alien. Sa laki ng universe imposible na tyo lang ang living organisms. Tingin ko yung art ko nagre-reflect sya ng mga possibilities ng ibang life form, yung probability na magiging itsura ng outcome ng pyesa parang same din sya sa probability ng alien, parehas di natin alam pero parehas possible.

JONE SIBUGAN: The figure is finding his identity in his environment presenting that he is part of it, this is in a way presented by rendering an abstract background merging with the figure that have representational elements in them.

Do you think art can still continue in the future as contemporary life becomes more automated and anesthetized of diversity as governed thought would demand of it?

KEVIN BALBOA: Yes, I think paintings and other art forms ay magexist pa din sa future. As long as meron tayong feelings and emotions kailangan pa din natin maghanap ng output kung saan tayo pwede magexpress ng feelings at emotion natin.

MAI SAPORSANTOS: I think that’s why making art becomes a necessity - there may be hints here and there from life that allow us to make sense of things but it never really is, so it’s funny in a way that we are able to do that because we get to build our own worlds and a version of things only possible in painting.

Are there any other contexts that play an important role in your work? Or is the painting merely formalist in your approach?

JONE SIBUGAN: Formalist, I use different values of grays, patterns and repetitions to create a harmonious image.

VICTORIA: Kung definition ng iba sa beauty is maayos and kaaya aya tignan, siguro it’s the opposite for me. Mas nagagandahan ako sa chaos ng composition. Yung mga mistakes sa details gusto ko din, maganda for me yung mga failures sa painting ko. Meron kasi silang ibang forms and colors na nagagawa.

MAI SAPORSANTOS: Sometimes there are situations I find funny which I draw inspiration from, like when I chanced upon a person wearing a banana shirt and I made a painting out of it. I see my work as having a certain quirkiness and once in a while a certain mood too. Though my works aren’t all that funny for me, when it does happen to appear, I embrace it! After all it’s a painting and not life ;-)  And it’s a sigh of relief for me when humor finds its way in my work. Like how things in the everyday get translated (or even more distorted) in dreams, my work becomes a mashed-up or meshed-in “representation” of the things I’m currently thinking or doing which may not be all that funny but the quirkiness of it happens to surface in the picture. Sometimes there are things or Ideas I find funny which I draw inspiration from while there are times when I think something in my drawings look creepy or weird and I build upon that certain element. There’s a pull to want to do it or see it.

PIN CALACAL: There can definitely be a link between art and mysticism. I have personally used the out of body experience, astral projection, and some indigenous beliefs about the soul as subject and/or metaphors in my work. I think some people may see deeper connections between the two. First, art, after all, is something that could inspire wonder in people, and that experience can be perceived as a spiritual experience. Many examples of religious art throughout history, for example, aim for this kind of effect on people including the already faithful. 

Some may even find similarities between their experience with producing art and mysticism. Artmaking can be a very contemplative activity. A lot of artist follow the “we’ll know by doing” idea. I think artmaking can also be a kind of thinking with your body. Sometimes, it can also feel like an out of body experience especially when you’re too deep into your work. It can also be performative or be a performance, and a performance often requires you to surrender to the action or process. By the way, this question actually reminds me of how one of my batchmates opened a hole to the spirit realm using methods she learned from the local shaman community (babaylan) as part of her Fine Arts thesis work. Art and artmaking definitely can accommodate mysticism, spirituality, belief in the supernatural and so on.