Carlo Gernale

Carlo “Caloy” Gernale (b. 1979) is a Filipino contemporary visual artist based in Southern Tagalog, Philippines. Through his works, he attempts to articulate not only his personal views on long-standing issues but more importantly, the collective stand and the national democratic aspiration of the marginalized. He is known both for his airbrushing proficiency and his surreal-allegorical works that tackle socio-political polemics. Attempting to conflate the traditional with industrial painting techniques, he continues to explore various materials from canvas to metal, to denim.

Gernale studied Bachelor of Fine Arts in Philippine Women’s University. In 2006, he mounted his first solo exhibition “Ispup” at Mag:net, Makati. His most recent exhibition “Allegories and Allergies” was held in May 2013 at West Gallery, Quezon City, Philippines. His works have also been shown in New York, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Jogjakarta. 

Occasionally, Gernale spends time teaching effigy-making, mural-painting, editorial cartooning, and basic drawing to students and out-of-school youth in Manila and in the regions.

He had just concluded his short-term artist-in-residence program at Rimbun Dahan Selangor, Malaysia, courtesy of the Hijjas family. Prior to this, he participated in SAGE, a tri-country residency program for artists in Southeast Asia. His most recent works for a one-man exhibition titled “Sal_t” are now on view at West Gallery from January 9 to February 9, 2014.

Yellow Baby:
Caloy Gernale, on the other hand, employs the idea of “god” or “Messiah,” using the “messiah complex,” which refers to “the irrational desire of a human being to take care of others, practically disregarding the other person’s willingness to be helped out or be taken care of,” a springboard for the meaning that he wants to convey through his paintings. Incorporating the contemporary image of the Messiah (e.g. the game show host who is adored and believed by the masses, or the transnational fairytale blondie whose kiss is believed to relieve the socio-economic misery of the victimized nation, or the “yellow baby” who promises to be our savior) becomes a clever way to describe the recurring socio-political situation of semi-feudal, neocolonial Philippines. 

Caloy’s paintings remind the viewer of how we were deceived by the “benevolent forces” which colonized us for 40 years and patiently trained local puppets to secure their influence on Philippine economy, politics, and culture. These “benevolent forces” say they wanted to help us because we, according to McKinley, “were unfit for self-government.” This is what they wanted us to believe so they could justify their feat.

Caloy attempts to put an exclamation point to the burning question, “Do the Filipinos have a collective messianic complex?” Do we really believe that our salvation relies on the institutions established by the ruling elite? If so, how did we come up with such a notion? Is this idea innate to us or is it actually a product of the material condition of the Filipino nation? Is this belief an offspring of the banging forces and relations of production? 

Through his paintings, Caloy agitates the viewer’s tendencies to be complacent. Caloy encourages the viewer to understand society from their point of view, make informed opinions and hopefully transform these opinions into organized actions.

Let the god in Caloy’s paintings guide your eyes to find the answers. The completeness of meaning does not solely rely on the painter. Meaning is completed when the viewer has a significant response to the images or symbols which he/she tries to make sense of.