“My computer broke down, so I picked up oil and started painting,” nonchalantly says Isobel Francisco. Encouragement from fellow artists in the local scene gave her the final push she needed to migrate from graphic design. Painting has been her main practice ever since.
The self-taught artist has been making waves in the Philippine art world with her vivid, yet gritty aesthetic. Her art hinges on figurative tension, the state of decay and the weariness of living. Creating a name for herself, her success allowed her to become a full-time committed painter in 2016. So far, she has exhibited in Hong Kong, China, and various locations in Metro Manila.
Isobel’s close examination of human nature paints a complex, often emotionally intense picture. In her last solo exhibition Aren’t we all running, she paid homage to Iri and Toshi Maruki’s Hiroshima Panels. That exhibition marked a shift in her usual practice. She experimented with more abstract concepts while continuing to ask existential questions about the existence of humankind.
images by PILOTENKUECHE International Art Program
Isobel experiments in deconstruction and reconstruction. Those experiments started in 2018 when she began playing around with materials used in her everyday routine. This lead to the creation of new compositions using torn pieces of her painted canvases.
Whether stepping out of the figurative realm or choosing to stay within it, Isobel manages to convey strong, emotionally loaded pieces that speak volumes in their intensity. During her time at PILOTENKEUCHE, she intends to keep on exploring and expanding her concept of structure, the abstract, trial and error, and personal growth.
written by Maayan Moskona
images provided by the artist
See more of Isobel’s work on her website and at these upcoming exhibitions:
Almost Tension
vernissage:
Sat 29 Feb 2019
7PM
performance:
TBA
Alteshandelsschule
Geisserstr 75
04229 Leipzig
open:
Sun 1 Mar, Thur 5 – Sat 7 Mar
2PM-6PM
Hard Fluid Betrayal
vernissage:
Sat 21 Mar 2019
7PM
performance:
TBA
open:
Sun 22 Mar – Tue 24 Mar
2PM-6PM
PILOTENKUECHE
Franz-Flemming-Str 904179 Leipzig