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By Joseph Javier
“I swim through the collective memories and
archetypes of women I have observed, discovered, and celebrated. Here
lies the song and stories of finding the feminine identity aside
from her obvious nurturing instinct and the sensuous nature of her
form. There is her resilient heart, her unbridled strength and
wisdom, as well as her role as an integral pillar to the society.”
These are the florid words of Filipina
photographer-artiste, Wawi Navarroza, as regards to her latest
endeavor in celebration of March as International Women’s Month.
While this feminine celebration has now come to a close, Navarroza
invokes the creative inspiration of the MOON as she packs her things
and embarks on an international journey to showcase her works.
Navarroza recently finished her participation in
the Manila group showing of “FoEm: Pandanggo Sa Bingit” at Art
Center Megamall curated by José Tence Ruiz and organized by Finale
Art Gallery. There, her carrier image: “The Riddle To The Tireless
Pull of the Moon [triptych]” celebrated womanhood in the
cross-media exhibit by various artists working with different
mediums.
”My piece there is my ode to the Menses and
the cycles, still in honor of Women’s Month. Women are as complex
as the stars. Always in sight, but forever a mystery. ” says
Navarroza.
Outside the Philippines, Navarroza has exhibited
in Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Australia, Russia, and the
Netherlands and is now set for a double exhibition in Singapore. The
two solo exhibitions are at the Artesan Gallery “When All Is Said
and Done” (March 19 to April 17, 2008, which features new work
done in Singapore during her artist’s residency grant) and at the
INSEAD (March 4 to 31) “This Is What She Told Me,” respectively.
Navarroza says: “All these I present to you in
silent and intimate portraits. “This Is What She Told Me” are
whispers. It needs you to listen. Some of the photos are
literal and others are symbolic and psychological. I intended for
this to be direct mirrors of the exterior and interior realities
that are present in each individual’s experience. It began for me
with stories in the ladies’ rooms, in kitchens, in cafés, in long
conversations, in business meetings, in silent thoughts, in words
written or unsaid.”
“I celebrate the unique marriage of
universality and diversity in Women. I have used the artifice
of cliché and the edge of avant-garde side by side to stress the
duality in Woman. You can never figure her out. She can be
classic, conservative, and also be post-modern and transcend
stereotypes. The women portrayed in my fine art photographs are
a beautiful mix of diverse ethnicities and nationalities. What
is fascinating is that they are all embodiments of the Global Woman. She
is a woman at home in her skin and knows her place in the world.”
Navarroza created the distinct fine art
photographs with her vintage 1950s Rolleiflex film camera. All of
the monochrome images were hand-processed in the darkroom by the
visual artist herself by altering the negatives by hand and using
chemicals and her own experimental analog process to bring out a
personal vision for each of the tableaus.
A celebrant of womanhood, Wawi Navarroza holds
the advocacy of environmentalism close to her heart: “I want to
remind people that there is also Tierra Madre [Mother Nature], which
I hope we haven’t forgotten. I want to remind people this. Beneath
our feet, under the concrete, the Earth is Woman. She provides
sustenance in abundance. In her womb, everything is connected. We
should never forget our linkages, our roots. The environment is in
threat and the climate is changing. We should quit the denial and
take action.”
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