TOOTS MAGSINO:
BETWEEN EPISODES
June 15-28, 2011
To those who know me well, the exhibition title is self-explanatory. But for many who don’t, let me tell you something about myself. I am bipolar. I’ve struggled with this condition (and its stigma) for over 20 years. Though I have benefited from some of its creative highs, I’ve always paid for them dearly with some of the most debilitating lows. To this day, it remains a constant challenge to accept and make the most of the cards I’ve been dealt.
The arsenal I choose to combat this is ART. I owe a great deal of my sanity and survival to it. The works that are shown here were created in between two major bipolar episodes. Though I do suffer from the condition, it does not define me. For all it’s worth, it has made me learn so much about myself and life as I know it. My experiences are chronicled in the mixed media collages I have created. They are quiet, introspective, personal reflections. My art has evolved into an intimate dialogue between myself and the viewer. It’s like a special communication between two minds who seek to understand the other deeply-- just like best friends who share great interest and empathy for each other.
Though I began as a still life painter, the many years of learning the craft of oil painting and then printmaking still didn’t quite satisfy my artistic voice. I continued to seek other means of expressing everything that was inside me. That’s when I discovered the wonderful world of collage. By combining everything I had learned from the start of my artistic journey, I discovered a visual language that communicated my thoughts and feelings in the most honest way. Each artwork is an autobiographical commentary of life as I know it. My art is life itself as seen through my eyes.
I welcome you intomy world and share with you what it’s like to be inside my head. Though life didn’t really turn out the way I envisioned it, I have learned to accept the good with the bad, to take each day and make the best of it. One thing’s for sure, my life continues to be avery exciting roller coaster ride.
**Toots Magsino is a mixed-media collage artist who has studied, lived and worked in New York City since 1997. She completed two 4-year programs at The Art Students League of New York: Fine Arts Painting and Fine Arts Printmaking. In 2008, she was awarded an O-1B artist visa, granted by the United States government to “individuals with an extraordinary ability in the arts”. She has participated in over 30 group shows in the United States, Italy, Japan, Canada and the Philippines.
“Between Episodes” is her 10th Solo exhibition. It marks a turning point in her career, as she decides to make Manila her home once again.
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