The subject of whimsy can often evoke pleasant memories and conjure up a feeling of calm. Paintings of the fantastic, of dreams and the imagination, can uplift any room and bring a sense of joy and delight to a family. They take their owners on journeys and adventures far beyond the humdrum of everyday life. And because the situations are often improbable, they also instil a brilliant sense of hope. This is best reflected in what Lewis Carol, the author behind Alice and her adventures in Wonderland, says about whimsy: “Why, sometimes I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

In this light, Galerie Stephanie, one of the country’s leading visual art galleres, presents a unique group exhibition titled Whimsy: Dreams+Fantasy, bringing together some of the finest contemporary artists in a showcase of delightful and imaginative canvas works. The artists in this exhibition include the likes of Migs Villanueva, Roel Obemio, Aljo Pingol, Reybert Ramos, Carlo Ongchangco, and Jomar Delluba—among the finest artists in the subject of whimsy.

Galerie Stephanie is located at Unit 1B Parc Plaza Building, 183 E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Libis, Quezon City. They may be reached through their landline at (632) 709-1488 or email at inquiry.galeriestephanie@gmail.com. Please visit their website at www.galeriestephanie.com.

“The artists in the exhibition have built practices that are highly sought after among the top collectors both in the country and abroad—practices that explore the nuances of dreams and imaginations, constructing veritable wonderlands within their works. Migs Villanueva, for instance, is an artist familiar with aspects of the narrative. Already a Palanca-award winning writer, Villanueva’s visual art practice – concerned as it is with the nostalgia of childhood – is a world of eternal summer, where children explore a bright and pastel-colored world in assorted adventures. Roel Obemio, on the other hand, continues his alignment with the Boterismo movement, creating subjects with an emphasis on volume ala Fernando Botero. The colorful worlds he places them in, dream-like ‘Juan-derlands’ as he calls them, are products of a rich imagination—re-interpreting ordinary places into a sort of ‘augmented reality’ version. The artist is fast becoming one of the most well-known in the country-primarily because of his unique take on juxtaposing Botero sensibilities with local scenes filtered through his imagination.

In contrast to the two artists, Reybert Ramos is a portraitist—but his ‘dog-headed’ subjects crossover to the realm of the surreal. The lower-half of their bodies expose their occupations – photographer, jet pilot –and their gestures suggest emotions – pointing fingers, tightly grasping a camera – but the their heads of different dog breeds is a humorous twist.

Aljo Pingol’s optimistic paintings of light-hearted genre scenes are idyllic and narrative in form—almost as if they’re following a folk story or legend. Carlo Ongchangco and Jomar Delluba are like contemporary Mannerists, following the High Renaissance preoccupation with in multi-narrative fantasies in their colorful works.

Whimsy: Dreams+Fantasy is a fantastical journey towards different worlds through the power of imagination and brought forth through the exceptional technique of the participating artists. It should not be missed.