RYAN VILLAMAEL VILLAM AEL ARTIST: RYAN BIOGRAPHY
Ryan
Villam lamael ael
born born
1987 987
in
Laguna Laguna,, Phili Philipp ppine ines, s, repres represen enss a ne! generaion sough a"er by #olle#ors$ %e has !or&e' a#ross a#ross se(eral se(eral me'ia me'ia be"ore be"ore seling on paper as he primary #an(as "or his #uous, obeying inri#ae anaomi#al paerns an' un"ol'ing$ %e is no! base' in )ue*on, +iy$
In one o" he iner(ie! o" Ryan Villamael, he sai' ha !hen he 'o his ars is li&e youre "in'ing your pro#ess, %e &ne! !ha he !ane' o 'o an' %e &no! himsel" more !ihou e-plaining i be#ause i is in his !or&$
Villamael Villamael has been in#lu'e' in se(eral group sho!s !hile sill pursuing a .a#helors 'egree in Paining "rom he /ni(ersiy o" he Philippines up o he ime o" his gra'uaion in 09$ 2in#e hen, his !or&s ha(e been sho!n boh lo#ally an' abroa' !hi#h in#lu'e 2ingapore an' %ong 3ong, an' has sage' hree solo e-hibiions o his 'ae$ Alhough his persisen#e in susaining a 'is#ipline more o"en sub4e#e' o han'i#ra" has been e(i'en "rom his !or&s, Villamael mainains ha his primary ineres lies raher on he #on#epual signi"i#an#e o" #ra" in he pro#ess o" #reaing #onemporary ar, an' #oninues o re#ogni*e he possibiliy o" ho! his !or&s #an sill e(ol(e un'er his ligh$
%e is a re#ipien o" he Aeneo Ar Ar A!ar' A!ar' in 015 an' he hree inernaional resi'en#y grans "un'e' by he Aeneo Ar 6allery an' is parner insiuions La robe /ni(ersiy Visual Ars +ener in .en'igo, Ausralia Aresan 6allery in 2ingapore an' Li(erpool %ope /ni(ersiy in Li(erpool, /3$ %e is pari#ipaing in he "orh#oming 2ingapore .iennale$
VISUAL TRADEMARK
Ryan Villamael is a :ilipino (isual aris !ho has gaine' re#ogniion "or his inno(ai(e use o" he e#hni;ue o" paper #uing < saring "rom his early !o='imensional an' symmeri#al #on"iguraions o hree 'imensional !or&s$ %is re#en !or&s e-plore he noion o" physi#al an' polii#al geographies using maps an' ar#hi(al phoographs$
>ne o" he "e! ariss o" his generaion o ha(e absaine' "rom he more liberal mo'es o" arisi# e-pression o resor o more 'eliberae han'i!or& "oun' in #u paper, Ryan Villamael?s meho' "ollo!s he 'e#orai(e naure innae o his me'ium o" #hoi#e$ he pro(in#e Laguna !here he aris hails "rom is "ame' "or he #ra" o" paper #uing ha originae' "rom he 2panish era$ %o!e(er, "rom Villamael?s inri#aely lai#e' #onsru#ions emerge images ha 'e"y ornamenal pa#h!or& "oun' in he pro(in#ial #ra"$ I insea' be#omes a reaise o" a uni;ue (ision ha en#ompasses boh inner an' ouer #on'iions o##upying he psy#he = "rom he obli;ue #omple-iy o" imagine' organisms o he ourigh e""e#s o" li(ing in a #on(olue' #iy$
In Ryan Villamaels ne! e-hibiion, Isles, he pus ogeher his e#hni;ue o" paper #uing along !ih he ar o" #arography or map=ma&ing$ hese !o seemingly opposing hings "in' hemsel(es a #erain #ommonaliy$ @heher one is loo&ing ino he "igure o" a pa#h o" lan' or he sur"a#es "orme' ou o" paper, he pro#ess loo&s ino a #erain in(esigaion, imaginaion an' e(en #an be an insrumen o!ar's sel"='is#o(ery$ 2ome!here be!een he #reae' uni(erse o" maps in his ne! e-hibiion as agains he human imaginaion, one sees somehing else "orming ami's Villamaels mei#ulous paper #uous #reaing inri#ae "orms a&ing hemsel(es some!here else as hey !or& "rom he ariss o!n sub4e#i(e poin o" (ie! o ha o" he (ie!ers$ Perhaps some!here along hese maps are li&e a sub#ons#ious a#ualiy abou o be un(eile'$
SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACT:
Villamael?s !or& #oness impose' bor'ers, mei#ulously #ar(ing ou his o!n eniies$ %e rans"orms he !o='imensional re#or's o" he 'ominan ino "anasi#al 'eli#ae s#ulpures or a miniaure #iy s#ape$ Ryan is he re#ipien o" he 015 Aeneo Ar 6allery La robe /ni(ersiy Visual Ars +enre Resi'en#y 6ran$
Ryan Villamael, one o" he hree !inners o" he 015 Aeneo Ar A!ar's, blurs he boun'aries o" ar an' #ra" hrough his s#ulpural paper #u ous$ he menial as& o" paper=
#uing is ele(ae' ino #rii#ally a##laime' ar!or& ha is he mani"esaion o" Villamaels (ie!s on global polii#s$ In Isles, his 01B solo e-hibiion ha earne' him he a!ar', he brings o li"e maps, 'esigning an' #uing hem ino elegan paerns an' hen mol'ing hem ino s#ulpures en#ase' in (irines$ Alhough Villamael gra'uae' in 09 "rom he +ollege o" :ine Ars, /P Ciliman !ih a ma4or in Paining, his e-hibiions sin#e hen ha(e mosly "eaure' his #u ou !or&s su#h as his !o e-hibiions, :lalan' an' 3osmi& ha !ere shorlise' "or he Aeneo Ar A!ar's$ %is e-ploraion o" #urren issues hrough a ra'iional #ra" base' me'ium resonae' !ih he Aeneo Ar 6allerys insiuional parners La robe /ni(ersiy Visual Ars +enre in Ausraliam, Aresan 6allery D 2u'io in 2ingapore an' he +reai(e +ampus Li(erpool %ope /ni(ersiy, /3, all o" !hi#h sele#e' him "or heir aris in resi'en#e program$
ARTISTIC INFLUENCES
As a #hil' Villamael sai' he !as al!ays #urious abou #reaing su"" !ih his han's an' spen his #hil'hoo' #olle#ing 'is#ar'e' ob4e#s, su#h as si#&s, o buil' #asles$ %a(ing an ar#hie# "aher pro(i'e' he inspiraion "or his "as#inaion !ih sru#ures an' his lo(e o" buil'ing !ih Lego$ E(enually Villamel !en on o #omplee a ba#helor 'egree in paining "rom he /ni(ersiy o" he Philippines$ .u i !as he "amiliariy o" paper ha he !as 'ra!n o, ha(ing !or&e' !ih i no only a uni(ersiy "or prinma&ing an' #ollage bu as a me'ium "rom his youh$
%o!e(er he aris !or&e' a a number o" menial 4obs in#lu'ing a sin !ih a M#Conal'?s "as "oo' resauran$ %e sai' being a #reai(e person, he e(enually !en ba#& o his su'io an' !as inspire' F a"er seeing piles o" paper F o #reae a series o" un"inishe' #ollages an' paper #u ous$ @hen a "rien' (isie' his su'io, she suggese' he !or& o!ar's an e-hibiion$ %e has sin#e gone on o hol' a number o" solo an' group e-hibiions in he Philippines an' abroa'$
SHOWS
.ehol' A +iy, 015 Isles, 01B
erriory, 01G reli&, 01G Ley %uning, 01G Ley %uning, 010 :lalan', 010 @or&ing in Progress, 011 >n he Ra'ar 2i- Ne! 2ympoms, 011 +u :el, 011
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