Who doesn’t remember being a kid and listening to wonderful stories told to them at bedtime? It harks back to the innocence of childhood and the power of a child’s imagination. From our beds, we were taken to far off places, witnessed many incredible events, and met many fantastic characters. They blanketed our dreams with whimsy and wonder, and gave us hope for the future.

These stories are the take-off point for a charming new art exhibition opening at the Atrium of the Podium Mall in Mandaluyong City. Entitled “Bedtime Stories,” the exhibition is a delightful reminder of our childhood thoughts, dreams, and imaginations. Featuring a whimsical assortment of artists – Carlo Ongchangco, Francis Nacion, Roel Obemio, and Migs Villanueva – the exhibition is a tribute to the lasting legacy of childhood experiences in our lives.

Organized by Galerie Stephanie in cooperation with Galerie Francesca, the show will open on March 9 at the Atrium of Podium Mall, ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Galerie Stephanie is located at Unit 1B Parc Plaza Building, 183 Eulogio Rodriguez Jr Ave, Libis, Quezon City. They may be reached through their landline at (632) 709-1488.

Each artist contributes their own unique take on childhood bedtime stories and its impact on their lives. Migs Villanueva, for instance, dreams up images that touch on notions of nostalgia and memory. Her distinctive experience as both a Palanca Award-winning writer and acclaimed visual artist gives her the ability to acutely capture the naiveté of youth. Roel Obemio, in contast, focuses on Philippine mythologies and imagery, through the prism of his adherence to Fernando Botero’s style of volume figurations within the imaginative and fanciful interludes. Using your typical Filipino as a witness to legends such as Ibong Adarna and Malakas at Maganda, his “Journey of One” complements his rise in stature in the Philippine art community.

Francis Nacion approach to bedtime stories is a reading into folk spirituality and the myths and legends of the countryside. His canvases are full of interesting characters: fairies and spirits, animal transformations, heroes and ordinary rural folk caught up in world of magic and mystery. Nacion uses his own personal experience as a foundation of a larger telling of folk traditions. He uses his imagination to build stunning works that never fail to elicit a sense of awe and wonder. Carlo Ongchangco’s approach is decidedly different. His canvases illustrate specific stories and fairy tales – such as The Little Prince, and Daddy Long Legs – and his practice uses a fanciful take on figuration to bring these characters to life. But it is the surreal aspect of his art is the perhaps the defining quality of his practice, simultaneously showing us scenes from beloved classics while taking us on a journey into the artist’s own imagination.

These extraordinary artists come together for a one-of-a-kind show that will appeal to the child in all of us. The exhibition is brilliant display of whimsical interludes that also serve as a survey of four of the top contemporary artists today. For a chance to remember what it’s like to be a child again, come to Galerie Stephanie’s “Bedtime Stories.”