Nicolei Buendia Gupit
Critical Text by Omen
Plastic cloaks pulsate with the undertow of the river, hinting at the death toll our society has decided for itself, and all of life. Garbage-filled waters are a common sight, and banning the use of convenience store bottles has become unimaginable. More terrifyingly, it no longer alarms us to the level of action to find entangled fins and displaced communities. How far has mankind gone in its low regard for life?
Inspired by her surroundings in Los Baños, Laguna, Gupit presents to us in her third solo show, Imprinted in the Water, a range of mediums and processes that highlight the impact of human activities on water resources. By using prints of man-made objects, she highlights the ways in which we have come to rely on water resources for our own needs, often at the expense of the environment and other human and non-human life. The wet pigment that she uses to dye her surfaces suggests the fluidity and mutability of water and the need for us to consider our effect on this vital resource. Full Text
