A Sneak Peek of the Dreamland at Qube Gallery

     Art always has the power to fascinate any soul. My BFF and I aren't an exemption as we found ourselves beyond fascination while checking out the artworks hang at the Qube Gallery.

     As what was written on their online page, Qube Gallery is a premier art space in the southern Philippines that initiates, creates, and showcases contemporary arts and ideas. The art place was founded around five years ago, but I didn't have any idea about the place until last year. 

     Since last year I've been planning to visit the gallery, but it was only last Saturday that I was able to visit the place together with my BFF Shie. And yes, we did visit the place at night (almost at their closing time lol) so the photos here are a bit dark.

    When we visited the place, we didn't know that they are actually having an art exhibit. Dubbed as In-Tri-Section, the collection of artworks displayed by artists Jirawat Pramphet, Arthit Pansuay and Jon Ray Fernandez were all curated by Mr. JT Gonzales.

      In-Tri-Section, the spot where three versions of wonder collide, filled the gallery with pop icons, personified animals, reckless nudes and glorious clouds.

    Those paintings of whimsical cats and cool dogs were all done by Cambodian artist Jirawat Pramphet.

From Qube Gallery Facebook account:
      Jirawat Pramphet (Gee) attended the Faculty of Decorative Art at Silapakorn University in Bangkok.
Coming from the province of Nakornsrithammaraj, Gee is now channeling his big city experiences into urban streetscapes. Gritty and stark, he populates the sois of Bangkok with whimsical cats and dogs, reflecting the many idiosyncratic personalities that dot the divine city.
Soldiers in camouflage, ballerinas, muay thai boxers, and glam pussies are worked into Gee's canvasses, offset against bewildering, breathtaking Bangkok. Furiously applied strokes create a rough but realistic feel to the works, but the results are never amateurish. Instead, Gee successfully conveys dramatic contrasts with either the tough city and its softer cast of characters, or its toughened denizens and their rustic beginnings.
After his successful one man show last year in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Gee is excited about showing in other Southeast Asian galleries. This is his first time in the Philippines, and he can't wait to encounter Cebu's whale sharks and beaches.

Nope, this isn't Gee, LOL. This is my BFF Shie getting so dramatic with the cats :) meow!

“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.” 

     Added a quote to make the whole thing extra dramatic! haha :p Okay, kidding aside, here are the works of Thai artist Arthit Pansuay (Slang Gank). His works feature clouds as crowns which look surreal and yes, dope. I can't even find the right words to describe his creations. Just take a look at them and I'm passing you the freedom to get awed by his works.

From Qube Gallery Facebook account:
 Gank dove into the art world by racking up a BFA from Phetchaburi College in 2002 and an MFA from Mongkut’s Institute of Technology in 2006. His academic training served him well, as he has then garnered numerous awards and distinctions, including a 2005 Scholarship from the General Prem Tinsulanonda Foundation in Bangkok and the 2nd Prize at the White Heart Art Contest, awarded by the Former Prime Minister of Thailand, Chuan Leekpai.
Notably, he won the Grand Prize at the 13th Toshiba Art Competition and 1st Prize at the 7th Watercolour Painting Contest for the Central Region of Thailand (2001). After numerous exhibitions in Bangkok, such as the recently concluded exhibit at Pandora Gallery (2015), the 2006 Koler Me exhibit at Jamjuree Art Gallery, Chulalongkorn University, and a 2005 Exhibition by the Phetchaburi Office of Cultural Heritage, Slang Gank is thrilled to come to Cebu and interact with the Filipino art world.
Recently, Slang Gank has been fascinated by the juxtaposition of a man with clouds. Insubstantially soft cloudscapes gather around his characters and form a unique backdrop that is slowly becoming his trademark. This collection of Qube draws from Slang Gank's experiments with cumulus and nimbus, spectacular cloaks that dramatically offset his canvasses.

    Last, but not the least are the works of Filipino artist Jon Ray Fernandez (photo above). Too bad wasn't able to take so many photos of his works. That's because most of them were on the first floor of the gallery. My friend and I went straight ahead to the second floor which houses the works of the two previous artists stated. A bit sad and disappointing but I can always visit the gallery again, right?

Here's a more detailed info. about Mr. Fernandez which is also from Qube's Facebook account:
After a few years of reality biting him and him biting reality, Jon Ray moved to Manila, where he stumbled upon the fascinating world of art. Drawing upon his innate talent and gradually pushing himself to try new media, -isms, and subjects, Jon Ray now spends his days ignoring friends and creating neon pop. Jon Ray is slowly attracting a fan base that spans the globe, such as Pedro Almodovar muse Rosie de Palma and actress Emmanuele Beart, as social media has allowed him to reach out and expose the world to his fierce, fabulous take on female icons.

"She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.”

“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science.” 

      If you wanna add a little bit more fun to your imagination, go take a sneak peek of the dreamland at the Qube Gallery as well. In-Tri-Section art exhibit runs until August 16, 2016. A part of the proceeds will go to Little Bamboo Foundation, so if you will buy any artworks from the gallery, you are also helping build a better future. :)

Qube Gallery is open every Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10:00AM - 07:00PM. For more information about the place, you may contact them with this number: 0918 807 4175

Or you may visit their Facebook account for more updates.

Let's stay creative and inspired!

love lots,

Tin

My Father is Tarzan

My father is Tarzan.
Oh no, my papa doesn't have those pandesal-like abs in his abdomen.
Nothing's legendary about my father's belly, but papa,
my papa is a legend.

He cannot sway from one tree to another,
but he had taken us to the
highest tree of individual growth.
I never once saw papa
in a physical fight,
but he had defended us
from the gorilla punches of poverty.

Papa doesn't have superpowers
but without words,
he understood us,
tamed the wild animals within us, and
united us even in our most savage state.

My father is Tarzan,
king of my jungle heart.

photo from google.com

*Disclaimer: My father is  not and does not look like Alexander Skarsgård lol 

The Creative Monkey (Coffee-Banana Smoothie)

      Nope, I'm not turning my blog into a food blog but yes, this post will feature one of my favorite recipes. This one's for coffee lovers like me, or to someone who loves to boost their creativity with the help of a coffee-banana smoothie.

       I don't know if you've already read about this, but according to an article from NY Times, coffee helps in boosting creativity. So does beer, but nope, I'm not gonna promote alcoholism so let's just stick to coffee okay? lol Bananas, on the other hand, are rich in fiber, pectin, and potassium; making them one of the healthiest fruits in the world. Now, what happens if we combine both in a drink? you'll become a creative monkey! lmao just kidding guys What will happen is that you'll have a healthy drink that will boost your creativity and perhaps your productivity in work as well. If you want both, or if you just wanna enjoy a good drink, then this recipe might be perfect for you.

Okay, now here's what you will need to create the smoothie.

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces banana (can be frozen or not)
• 1-2 tsp. of powdered coffee (may vary depending on your taste and preference)
• Greek yogurt
• 1 cup of natural Soya milk

Optional:

• honey
• cinnamon powder
• crush ice

Equipment to use:

• Blender

Directions:

1. Prepare all ingredients needed.
2. Dissolve the powdered coffee into a tablespoon of a hot water. Set aside.
3. Cut the bananas and place them into your clean blender. Add the yogurt, coffee and soya milk. Add your ice as well if you have it. Blend the ingredients for 2 minutes.
4. Pour the smoothie into a glass container. In my case, I used my mason jar :)
5. Serve the drink and enjoy!

     The recipe is good for a one regular sized mason jar or two 12 oz. glasses. And yes, you can modify the ingredients the way you want it. You can add more bananas if you want it thicker. You may also add more coffee if you want. Do what you want with the smoothie as long as you enjoy the drink.

      That ends this very short and easy smoothie recipe and I hope you'd like it as much as I did. Let me know how you would like to change the smoothie or what other ingredients would you like to add to it. Scribble down your thoughts in the comment section below. Thank you and have a wonderful week ahead!

love lots,

Tin

The Do’s and Don’ts of Wearing Leather Pants for Women

    Leather pants for women are one of the hottest pieces of clothing you can ever wear. They look glam, chic, fabulous and wearing it will certainly make you feel like a rock star. That is if you will pair it with the right clothing items. If not, there is a high tendency that you will look cheap and trying hard.

  If you wish to finally be a fashion risk taker, it is about time that you get over your fear of leather pants for women. You just have to make sure that you avoid the different fashion faux pas that people tend to commit by following the do’s and don’ts mentioned below.

•    Do pair it with a denim jacket.

To pull off the casual leather pants look, you must pair it with a top in contrasting fabric and a denim jacket is one of the fabrics that is in contrast but greatly complements the leather material. Just simply put on a loose tank top and layer a denim jacket over it.

•    Don’t pair it with matching leather jacket.

You may be tempted to do this. After all, the monochromatic looking has become all the rage nowadays, right? However, pairing a pair of leather pants with the equally trendy leather jacket will be an overkill. You will end up looking like a member of a biker gang instead of a fashionable chic.

•    Do pair it with pastel colors.

Leather pants will give any outfit that instant rock star look. If you wish to tame it down, you can pair it with fun and flirty pastel colored tops.

•    Don’t wear it to work.

Sure, leather pants are one of the trendiest pieces of clothing in the fashion industry but it can be quite selective. You can wear it to a party, a club, a bar but you should never ever wear it to work. No matter how dressed up it may look, it will not be corporate enough.

•    Do layer.

The key to pulling off the leather pants look is to conceal the crotch area. That is why it is recommended that you wear long layers to conceal it. Plus, layering is also a great way to look stylish during the colder months.

•    Don’t pair it with a tight fitted top.

When it comes to choosing a top for your leather pants, you should keep it loose, slouchy and comfortable. Some of the items that you can wear with a tunic, a button down top, a sweatshirt, a tank top, a basic tee and much more. However, you should never ever pair it with skin-tight tops as it will look over the top. After all, this outfit is all about balance.

Once you have mastered the do’s and don’ts mentioned above, you can get the hang of wearing leather pants for women. While it is usually worn during the winter season, you can still wear it all year round, especially if you keep in mind the tips mentioned above.

***Disclaimer: All photos not mine. All credits go to the owners.

Sunday Currently

     It's almost Monday as of this moment, but I would like to write a brief update on my blog before hitting the sheets. This post is something new on my blog, though I don't intend to keep this going (at least not right now). Just want a specific outlet to scribe what's on my mind and I have been doing earlier today.

     You may have seen some other bloggers' post similar to this one, but it's theirs' not mine, so here's mine. lol I'm such a copycat! hahhahahaha

Alright so currently I am _________

READING

 Mireille Guiliano's Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire: Business Sense and Sensibility. This book isn't on my 'to read' list, but this got me at first three sentences when I checked out what's in my favorite local book store. I'm not gonna elaborate so much on what the book is all about, but I would probably write a review on it once I finish reading the whole thing. It's a must read book you guys and I can't wait to share to you all of my thoughts about it!

WRITING

Of course this post duh!!! lmao I just finished writing a news for our company's website (as part of my new job right now). Honestly, I'm not required to write at home, I just thought it would be good for me so I can accomplish more task once I get my ass in our office tomorrow. Anyway, you can read some of my works by visiting our website.

LISTENING

These days I find myself listening to the songs of Kanye West from his Life of Pablo album and to the songs of Cheats from their first album. Not gonna talk too much either about  Kanye or Cheats. I'm planning to write a separate post about their songs on my playlist.

THINKING

About the work that I need to accomplish tomorrow

HOPING

1. To accomplish the tasks assigned to me in good quality. 

2. For my online orders to arrive early this week.

WISHING

Success. Productivity. Positivity = for this week :)

LOVING

My job right now. I don't wanna compare, but yes, I'm gonna compare. This current job of mine right now is the best job I ever had so far. Not because this gives me the most benefits and the biggest salary, but because this gives me the most satisfaction and challenge. With all honesty, I've never felt so excited to work on something and to think of something for my work. I'm not saying that my previous jobs weren't good, they were. I just feel like I'm doing better in this job, which I fervently hope. 

Yes, I still have fears, insecurities and funny jitters in this job, but what I've learned so far from this job outweighs them all. Though this job is clouded by uncertainties that makes me cringe, I still feel hopeful and inspired to do my best for the company that I am working in. 

NEEDING

More time. we can have all the opportunities in this world, but no, never time. I have so many things in mind right now (one is blogging) and I feel like a day isn't enough for me to do all the things that I need and want to do. I need more holidays too! lol haha and money hahahaha Just kidding guys, what I really need right now is the courage to look at the bright side of everything. charot!

Seriously though, that's what a pessimist like me constantly needs.

FEELING

Sleepy and tired right now, so I'll bid you my good night's kiss now. It's almost 2AM guys and I need to get up at 6AM so good luck to me tomorrow. lol

I hope you are doing all well and sorry if I wasn't able to check your blogs recently. Promise I'd really try my best to get in touch to you as always.

Good luck and let's all start the week positively!

love lots,

Tin