(Photo by PINGGOT ZULUETA)

MANILA, Philippines - If there is any measure to the quality of being, the best way to achieve it is by looking at its contradictions. It is through these opposites, and the knowledge of the strata it creates, where man understands where to place certain elements. From good and evil, light and dark and between truth and lies is where one gets a sense of displacement.

However, it is the irony that exists between contradictions that gives life its twist, like rain pouring on a garden wedding or a well timed joke in a moment of grief. It is these situations that put life’s transgression into perspective. Nowhere is the concept of irony more glaring than in the context of Philippine society. It may be the optimism or perhaps, it’s the pessimism of the people, but the smiles amidst poverty and the immortality of success provide a clear example of irony’s measure.

Some would say that an element of irony is a crucial trait in any form of expression as it adds wit to otherwise dreary concepts. That being the case, artist Vincent Padilla provides a glimpse of the world through colorful lenses that capture life’s extremes.

Padilla grew up in the urban streets of Mandaluyong where early on, he became a witness to the realities of life. He subsequently became attached to his art and resolved early on that he would pursue a life out of it. “I knew that I was going to take up Fine Arts as early as seven years old. I was that sure of it,” Padilla shares.

Eventually, Padilla and his family relocated to sub-urban Antipolo where he was exposed to the likes of Mark Justiniani, Elmer Borlongan and Manny Garibay, members of the famed Grupo ng Saling Pusa. Under the guidance of the group, Padilla adopted the same political disposition that the group carried.

His formative days in high school saw Padilla joining art competitions with fellow visual artist Jerson Samson. Padilla’s relations with the Saling Pusa group of artists eventually influenced him into taking up his Fine Art studies at the University of the Philippines. Here, Padilla developed his artistic concepts while staying figuratively sound. “In UP, we were taught to think because we were stimulated every time,” Padilla recalls.

Because of his politically inclined influences and further exposure to conceptual approaches, Padilla assumed a role of a social realist, creating works closely attached to the life and times of his surroundings. “My works are very much political. We are all aware of our society and what’s happening around us. Right now, instead of being vulgar in tackling issues, I take to the idea of limited characters to primarily play with,” Padilla shares.

Padilla’s first one man show in 2002 entitled “Umaga, Tanghali, Gabi”, served as a sort of retrospection of his growing up years. “I grew up in the alleys of Mandaluyong. So, I might as well start my career with how I saw the world when I was young,” Padilla recalls. Padilla’s early images capture the essence of urban living. His subject oriented pieces illustrate characters from his past engulfed in distorted vantages of tight alleyways and huddled streets. From the blind to the able, from workers to bums, Padilla renders his characters with hard accents that stress their harsh dispositions. Padilla seems to pour his emotions into every stroke, drawing the same intensity from his viewers as well.

Padilla owes his undulating form to innate motion relying on the organic movement of his extremities and the grace behind it. “The natural movement of the hand is a curved line. When you draw using your fingers, it’s always curved and never straight,” Padilla points out. “Since everything is curved, it follows that the curve should be continued,” he adds.

Following his Eskinita series, Padilla explored the concept of man’s self inflicted limitations. In 2004, with his show entitled “Kinahon”, the artist expressed his own frustrations being a full time artist completely enclosed in his studio. “I saw my world and I was limited to the four corners of my room, just painting. Then I realized that I was boxed,” Padilla shares. Padilla’s exploration of the idea led him to portray the infinite chain of limitations that people subject themselves to. While illustrating scenes that project life’s variations, Padilla underscores the extent of how people unconsciously impede the freedom to live.

An offshoot of his curve linear approach, Padilla shifted to employing rotund figures. Through Greco-Roman images such as pillars and the portrayal of full-figured and masculine characters, Padilla introduced a paradox in the form of an oubliette. Known as a form of imprisonment during the 14th century, Padilla injects irony in its depiction by employing optimism to its otherwise sinister origins. “The idea of an oubliette is dark, but the painting is very colorful and positive. The way I see it, being isolated in an oubliette gives you a chance to think and find who you really are,” Padilla says.

Inspired by the irony of life coupled with his strong political temperament, Padilla shares his ideas through narrative comical works. Padilla’s recent works revolve around the use of symbolic personas that represent sectors in society in the form of a royal court. Padilla associates himself with one particular character, the buffoon. “I consider myself as the licensed fool because I can make fun of everything without getting charged of anything. I get paid by the king to mock,” Padilla shares.

Armed with his satirical images, Padilla mirrors the resilient character of Filipino society, circumventing difficulties with humor and wit. “My paintings are fun and happy but if you observe them further, there’s also depth. There’s always a darker side to them,” Padilla stresses.

Padilla’s sentiment is perhaps a prime example of the irony that he fervently reveals with his works. Sharing the heart of the masses and immersed in the tribulations of society, this artist still holds a disposition that supersedes any form of negativity. “I am very optimistic and I want my art to transcend the optimism that I have and make other people happy when they see it,” Padilla says. “It really goes back to the pursuit of happiness.”

Vincent Padilla’s solo exhibit ‘’Renegade Buffoon’’ runs until September 30, 2010, at Galerie Anna, 4th floor, Artwalk Building, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.