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Junyee, Gus Albor mount two-man exhibition in San Juan

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ABS-CBN Lifestyle

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176958262659800 (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><p>Recently opened at the Metro Gallery in San Juan City is &quot;Parallel: Two Practices Over Time,&quot; a two-man exhibition by Junyee and Gus Albor, which runs until February 7.  </p><p>It is a gallery&#x27;s way of marketing two of the country’s most prominent artists -- by holding a back-to-back, controlling the size of the works (all in 18”x 18”), and presenting a seemingly similar type of work -- minimalist, nonrepresentational abstractions in varied tones of grey with a spot of color for highlight. </p><p>At first glance the viewer is taken to an elegant room knowing they are seeing masterfully-rendered works as both artists display paintings that delicately balance sensitivity and precision.</p><p>Agusto Gus Albor (b. 1948) and Luis Yee Jr. or Junyee (b.1942) both belong to the generation of artists who redefined Philippine contemporary art in the 1970s. They rose to prominence during the same era of Philippine art history and have maintained a close professional relationship for over 50 years. In this show, one artist uses acrylic on canvas, while the other uses a nontraditional medium of soot on paper. Their seemingly nonsensical, randomness grounds reveal more than the eye could see.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Albor&#x27;s mastery of the state of being</strong></div><div><strong><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769576693372IMG_5962.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></strong>Albor’s work is celebrated for its unique plasticity — the physical and sculptural quality of his paintings — which bridges the gap between two-dimensional surfaces and three-dimensional objects. </div><p>As both a painter and sculptor, Albor&#x27;s paintings often possess a &quot;sculptural&quot; presence. He further explores space and form using geometric superimpositions to create new spatial dynamics. With great attentiveness, Albor’s layers of paint over paint that becomes dense and translucent at the same time achieves  a balance between the physical nature of color and the transparency of light.</p><p>As a student of Florencio B. Concepcion (1933–2006) in the University of the East School of Music and Fine Art, Albor was greatly influenced by Concepcions’ Arte Informale style, a  European abstract movement from the 1940s and 1950s movement that is noted for the use of neutral tones and gestural abstractions focusing on the freedom of expression and the physicality of the art.</p><p>There is a meditative nature to Albor’s abstractions that acts as a mirror to the viewer. Some see sensuality while others see spirituality -- both transporting the viewer into the realm of the transpersonal. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Junyee, mastering fire</strong></div><div><strong><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1769576708910IMG_5706.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></strong>As a  student of existential philosophy, Junyee has aligned his metaphysical concerns and interest in the “workings of the universe” which he likens to the “magical, mysterious nature of smoke.” His paintings are achieved through hours of lying on his back in order to utilize the flickering upward movement of fire.</div><p>In a 2012 interview, Junyee describes his philosophical approach to these works: “I am exploring my mind and how I can relate myself to the universe.”</p><p>With great integrity and authenticity, Junyee’s attitude towards art making is a reflection of his spiritual concerns. His insatiable quest for existential truths and back-to-nature outlook speaks of a boundless sense of discovery with found materials that are mostly ephemeral in nature, including soot -- a reflection of the artist’s non-consumerist attitude that has earned him great respect in the art community. </p><p>Historically, Junyee is Southeast Asia’s pioneer in the use of indigenous materials or art made from the natural discards of the forest such as fallen leaves, dried barks and vines under the banner of contemporary Indigenous Art.</p><p>His soot paintings, often described as &quot;delicate yet powerful,&quot; showcase his commitment to using unconventional, organic materials to explore themes of presence and absence. The paintings rely on the ethereal interplay of light and dark, creating a haunting imagery of  &quot;floating emptiness.&quot; Critics noted that soot produces the deepest perceptible black, which Junyee utilizes to symbolize &quot;dark matter&quot; or the unknown.</p><p>In 1980, Junyee said, “The art of the possible is infinite; therefore have no destination, only a journey. I am an explorer of my world and I hope my universe.&quot;</p><p>Junyee&#x27;s major influence is National Artist Napoleon Abueva (1930-2018), the &quot;Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture,&quot; when Junyee lived and worked in Abueva&#x27;s studio for three years, stating he learned more there than in college about how to use tools and, more importantly, how a &quot;cunning mind&quot; works  never satisfied with its current output. “[He] had a lot of tricks up his sleeve,” he says. “The cunning mind that is not satisfied with what he is doing now.”</p><p>Junyee, who often addresses issues like environmental degradation, the precarious state of the natural world, constantly sought a balance between tradition and modernity.</p>

<p>Junyee and Gus Albor bring their parallel practices together in a two-man exhibition at Metro Gallery, where minimalist, nonrepresentational works in controlled formats highlight both shared sensibilities and distinct approaches.</p>

Junyee and Gus Albor bring their parallel practices together in a two-man exhibition at Metro Gallery, where minimalist, nonrepresentational works in controlled formats highlight both shared sensibilities and distinct approaches.

Junyee, Gus Albor showcase parallel practices in 2-man show

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Junyee, Gus Albor showcase parallel practices in 2-man show

ABS-CBN Lifestyle,

Rachel Mayo

Published January 28, 2026 01:22 PM PHT

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Updated January 28, 2026 02:43 PM PHT

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