Lot description
A Sky Without Stars, A Sea Without Sand signed and dated 2020 (lower left) oil on canvas 76" x 68" (193 cm x 173 cm) EXHIBITED: He Xiangning Art Museum, HEAVENLY BODIES IN THE SOUTH A Joint Exhibition for Qin Qi and Rodel·Tapaya), Shenzhen, China, 6 June to 5 July 2020 The large-scale works of Rodel Tapaya are often covered in amalgamations of folk narratives and vivid storytelling. Leaving no square inch of canvas unused, he explores topics of folktales and historical research, creating an interesting tableau of characters that intersect from different periods and times. With his 2020 A Sky Without Stars, A Sea Without Sand, Tapaya plays around with pre-colonial religion as a feathered man (a sort of man-bird hybrid) holds open the mouth of a giant snake reminiscent of a bakunawa. Around them, it seems the world is out of order, with visions of floods and fires interweaving the figures. Several elements are also worth mentioning – a decapitation head lies near the feathered man with wings sprouting from its head; the end of the bakunawa’s tail morphs into an amorphous hand gripping the concrete below; a man, face obscured by a shining line, sits idly near the bakunawa. The works of Rodel Tapaya invite introspection and discussion. Its dense narrative compositions are enriched by Indigenous folklore and postcolonial analysis, creating a body of work that would excite the most curious of viewers to figure out the message hidden in its depths. (Hannah Valiente)
