Pinkhouse, Taguig City
Oct 8 - 28, 2025
What does it mean to be someone’s master?
In Master by Kirk Dijamco, 5 pieces are presented with undiluted fury. Art can often be associated with lofty promises, probing the complexity of the world and the diversity of cultures. But these works don’t seem to fit with any of these aspirations. What seems to matter here is enduring instead of fading away. The dent an artwork makes on us, that which remains in our memory even after seeing with our eyes, is critical in art. Yet as no logic can manifest the true meaning of a work of art, maybe the paint strokes in these works are no more than afterthoughts of its painter. Maybe being a “master” also entails living on one’s own terms and seeking no social gratification.
Perhaps the joke is on human beings and their endless search for meaning. Feelings always accompany meaning. Feelings of discomfort in particular happen because of resistance as opposed to surrender. In Master by Kirk Dijamco, we confront wrath that does not validate chaos nor dragging one downward towards nothingness but rather, reconciles the viewer back to life.
Words: Joshua Alexander Manalo
