Shining the spotlight on her passion for her exciting works of art, Tanya Gaisano-Lee launched her “Beyond the Womb” Art Exhibition at the Lobby of Marco Polo Davao last May 3 at 6 p.m. Mind you, but three generations of prominent members of Davao’s Chinese-Filipino business community came in happy attendance. Sharing their stellar presence in welcoming Tanya’s guests were her parents, Hans and Winnie Gaisano, who flew in from Manila to attend their unica hija’s special event. What made the event more memorable was that it was also the celebration of Tanya’s happy birthday which fell on the same day.
Conceptualized four years ago when Tanya was conceiving her baby girl, this is Tanya’s first solo exhibition in Davao City. The young artiste already had a solo exhibition in Manila on erotic art at the Crucible Art Gallery before this.
“Beyond the Womb is about my journey in conceiving a precious child. It was a long and painful journey that tested not only myself and my faith, but my marriage as well. Eventually, my husband Jerick and I were able to overcome all the challenges and have our own child. The frustration came from the fact that despite all the tests and workup, there was nothing definitely wrong,” she narrated. In this exhibition, Tanya Gaisano-Lee extols the beauty and self-less love of a mother which is just timely reminder for our coming celebration of Mother’s Day this May 12.
“My first solo exhibition on Erotic Art aimed to draw the distinction from what the general public may regard as conventional or safe art. The unique pieces of art I created for this Manila exhibition were individually researched and intentionally chosen in order to leave an impression and impact on the audience. My aim in my art exhibitions is to show how the artist is constantly evolving and is capable of taking on a wider range of subject matters,” Tanya emphasized as she added, “I deliberately chose what is widely regarded as a taboo subject matter because it symbolizes both the beauty and turmoil of forbidden desires and, for a brief moment, provided a time and place where these desires could run wild and free.”
I still remember Tanya showing me some of her works that time in an event that sweet Angela Soriano Diano invited me to. I couldn’t stop myself from asking her what her conservative parents thought then of her erotic artworks. That was t
he first time I came face to face with this confident artiste but I guess she has forgotten about it. And that was the first time I wrote about her in this column then. I didn’t even know that she is the daughter of Hans Gaisano.
I remember Hans Gaisano with fond memories as he chose my design entry for the UP Alumni Association logo which became the official logo to this day. Yes, for winning the logo design contest, Hans Gaisano awarded me with a brown paper bag containing a dozen croissants from their Gaisano Mall bakery. But I guess, Hans, too, must have forgotten about it as he hardly recognized me during Tanya’s exhibit and Consul Baby M. Montemayor had to reintroduce me to him.
Tanya considers her artworks as “universal” as she believes that the younger generation as well as the mature ones can easily relate to them. “It’s contemporary art,” she’d tell you. “My art subjects and over all aesthetic are quite pleasant. I do not appreciate and relate to the morbid and dark themes which are popular today. When you see my art, it is readily recognizable as they are distinct from the works of other artists in my use of patterns and bold and solid colors.”
Indeed, for a self-taught, young artist who started painting in 2014 upon the prodding of her equally young husband of a business entrepreneur, it is impressive that Tanya has arrived at her individual distinct subjects and style quite early. “I will always be grateful to my husband for convincing me to pursue this artistic passion in me.”
The daily grind of life serves as inspiration for Tanya. “From the different roles I play as a woman, to the culture we live in, and from our travels to different places, all these contribute to my way of art. Honestly, I paint better when I am mad or not at ease. Painting is my release and it enables me to shut out all the irritants of life.”
Tanya revealed that National Artist (1997) Arturo Luz is the Filipino artist that she looks up to as she reasoned, “His work is the perfect combination of minimalism, which could really capture one’s interest, and I just love his unmistakable trademark of bold colors and geometric lines.”
The artworks presented by Tanya do inspire those of us who dream. She encourages us to look closely into ourselves for that gift of talent that we may have in us but are not even aware of. And to make use of it as what Tanya Gaisano-Lee does with such a passion as to make an impact on art lovers and collectors.
