Silverlens is pleased to announce Pow Martinez at Silverlens Manila, opening 25 July 2024.

Pow Martinez often describes his practice as “what a nature painter might do in a digital landscape,” rendering surreal, whimsical, at times unsettling, scenes in bold colors and whimsical compositions.

The worlds he depicts are derived from the digital landscape we often find ourselves immersed in, his inspirations being movie tropes, pop culture moments, and the broader expanse of the online space. Martinez presents varying sizes of cartoonish paintings set in these eclectic worlds featuring a cast of recurring characters including cowboys, monsters, and soldiers.

The smaller works in the exhibition, ranging from 8 x 8 to 8 x 12 inches, invite us to engage like we would on social media: with a fascination for a separate reality. In contrast, the larger 4-ft works invite us directly into these worlds, drawing us in among the uncanny. In one painting, Martinez plays out a dreamlike scene, characters in various states of action and reaction, one of the personas a large head expelling a burst of fire. Another work centers on a lone peasant in red garb, key in hand, approaching a chapel. In this exhibition, the characters are perpetually in motion, whether riding a vehicle or figuratively navigating their way towards a distant goal.

The artist’s eponymous monograph, written by renowned contemporary art writer Tony Godfrey, will be published by ArtAsiaPacific. This book offers a comprehensive view of the Filipino artist’s work spanning 2009 to 2023. Through insightful essays based on his conversations with Martinez, Godfrey delves into the artist’s passions and inspirations, both within and beyond his artistic practice. Silverlens Manila will host a book launch in August in celebration of the book’s publication.

Pow Martinez will be on view from 25 July to 17 August 2024 at Silverlens Manila, with an opening reception on 25 July from 4 to 7 PM.

Pow Martinez (b. 1983, Manila, Philippines; lives and works in Manila) is a Filipino artist known for his expressionistic style of painting, blending bold colors with demonic, mutant-like characters to create compelling canvases. Often resembling a beautiful nightmare, Martinez combines the mundanities of everyday life with elements of pop culture, resulting in darkly humorous works depicting society’s overconsumption.

Martinez is a recipient of the 2010 Ateneo Art Award for his exhibition 1 Billion Years at West Gallery, Philippines. He exhibits internationally and has worked with different media, from painting to sound. His recent exhibitions include State of Flux (2023) at Silverlens New York; City Prince/sses (2019) at Palais de Tokyo in Paris; Art Jakarta 2019 with Silverlens and ROH Projects; 50 Years in Hollywood (2019) at Pinto Art Museum in New York; Art Basel Hong Kong 2019 with Silverlens; WXXX (2019), West Gallery, Manila. Martinez has also held a number of solo shows in major galleries in Manila, the most recent of which is Clunker (2022) at Silverlens Manila. Early in 2022, Martinez had his first solo exhibition in Madrid entitled Underground Spiritual Unit at Galeria Yusto/Giner. In 2018, he had a solo exhibition in Indonesia. Titled Aesthetic Police, the exhibition is an outcome of his month-long residency program at OPQRStudio in Bandung.