Shooting Stars: A Solo Exhibition by Trek Valdizno

Trek Valdizno’s Shooting Stars is an exploration of the inner and outer worlds, a representation of his endless inspiration for the wonder of celestial bodies. The fabric of spirituality seeps through as his works call to mind his fascination with the unknown.

The affinity with shooting stars or meteors/meteorites may be attributed to his own inward journey. At the outset, the artist recognizes that there is something greater than oneself that is divine or cosmic in nature. It is a connection forged within himself and his outer world.

The artist’s fascination with cosmology and geology led him to collect tektites, particularly those from the Czech Republic called moldavites. Tektites are small, rock-like objects of Earthen material that have been melted by meteorite impact and ended up on Earth. Their name comes from the Greek word ‘tektos‘, meaning ‘molten’. A couple of years ago, the artist made an installation utilizing a tektite and a curved metal bar against an all-black wooden panel. This is his first foray into utilizing the image of the elusive shooting stars, allowing him to simulate the image of a meteorite and investigate its physical dimensions. Now, he has incorporated this concept in the form of painting.

For the artist, the process of painting is a spiritual catalyst. It is a unique, guided practice that allows him to be in a state of rising above his earthly self. He regards having to paint one element over and over again as a form of meditation. After completing the background, he allows his senses and emotions to continue the artwork. He blends colors and techniques through intuition, with his painting gestures following the behavioral pattern of a shooting star.

From a certain angle, the paintings look like an interweb of strings, pulling and connecting each other. Each work formulates a certain sense of bond. At their most obvious state, the paintings are representations of heavenly bodies. The circular shapes are created to mimic the experience of looking into a dimension. These form a depth through positive and negative spaces. Each resulting piece, although flat, conveys a three-dimensional, boundless form moving toward infinity.

Trek’s process may be referred to as automatic painting in which inspiration is tapped from a tranced state. Automatism refers to digging deep into the unconscious mind and movement without conscious pondering. Later, automatism played some part in abstract expressionism. In a sense, this process can be read as creating harmonious art where the mind and the body agree on a single thought. Contrary to the random gestures, the resulting works are purposeful and directed. Flashes of insight and vision from a higher being have made their way to the artist’s canvas, making the works reflective of the artist’s illuminated inner world.

The paintings are doused in flat and shimmering acrylics portraying the different colors of the stars when subjected to different conditions in their realm. The pervading images are spirals, full, and semi-circles. In cosmological underpinnings, circles are a perfect shape that represents totality and wholeness.

The realization that we are one with the universe is in itself a transformation. It allows us to see our own version of the sacred. The spiritual weave in the works of Trek reminds us that we are uniquely formed yet thoroughly guided. We are grounded in ourselves yet remain integral to our outer world. Just as Indian Philosopher Osho has phrased it, the whole universe is our being, and stars in different colors just give a beautiful variety to existence. •

Shooting Stars was curated by Sandra Palomar-Quan. The exhibit opened last October 7 and will run until November 18 at Galleria Duemila, Pasay City, Metro Manila.

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