Babylyn Geroche Fajilagutan’s exploration of the self naturally flows in the imagery of her latest solo exhibit, “Sowing Lines, Reaping Shapes” – a continuation of a series of works focusing on the artist and her memories.

In creating the artworks, a mix of intimacy and focus between the artist and materials was required; you can see it in the threads sewn over and over, piercing the pieces of paper repetitively, a meticulous thought and physical process combined. There’s an organic playfulness in how the different media come together yet at the same time feel deliberate and precise. In some of the works are printed photo cutouts of the artist’s body parts, such as her face and ears on separate art pieces. This display of small windows into the artist’s soul mixed with intricate shapes and colors are presented to the viewer like pages from a visual diary.

A graduate of the UP College of Fine Arts, Babylyn’s unique approach to her craft were honed both by teachers at school and self-taught methods within her home as she would heavily incorporate in her art different kinds of materials she had collected over the years – textiles, thread, and pages from newspapers and her own journals. For this particular show, the artist drew inspiration from late artists Robert Rauschenberg, Eva Hesse, and Santi Bose, all distinct creators who had each paved different paths for the world of mixed media art. And as the artist herself threads through this mixed media world (pun intended), she too tests what is beyond the boundaries of everyday objects; that of thread and paper. In sewing lines she is also painting a story, and in gluing together pieces of paper with remnants of her old handwriting, she is attaching vulnerability. For each artwork, there is always a piece of the artist attached to it as a way of exploring herself and encapsulating this specific moment in her artistic journey.

Looking closely, there are different depths and textures in the artist’s works. There are thematic positive and negative spaces, inviting bursts of colors, and the juxtaposition of detailed handiwork blending with photographs. At the same time, other parts are sinuous, ragged, and even monochromatic. But all of these visuals come together fluidly, interwoven with thread and paper; proving that such unassuming materials are given importance as art elements themselves.

Like the artist’s works, memories are quite like that – some are vivid and permanent, while others are fleeting or akin to wisps, like threads or paper. But to catch memories and experiences and immortalize them in subtle ways is certainly Babylyn’s forte.

– Tish Meneses