Jojo Legaspi

Jose Legaspi achieved his degrees in zoology and biology before turning to fine arts in the mid-1980s. His diverse interests may explain the almost clinically accurate observational elements of his work, with its meticulous, prolific use of pastel drawing. Legaspi’s work, which has been described as obsessional and gruesome, draws on his interests in psychology and memory. His imagery is mostly influenced by icons of visual culture in the Philippines. Legaspi references Catholicism, particularly the more violent aspects of crucifixion and martyrdom; horror films and the spectacle of violence; taboos around sexuality, homosexuality and the body that operate in Filipino society. The child like scribbled drawings belies the nightmarish content of his work. Legaspi’s paintings are often free of discernible context, showing people with sallow faces in a state of unnatural isolation. Although their features have recognizable attributes they represent universal types. Using muted colours, smooth brushstrokes and simple lines, his minimal backgrounds serve to thrust his dramatic yet realistic subjects provocatively to our immediate attention. Legaspi deals with the power dynamic between ‘I’ and the ‘Other’ and gives the viewer studies of human interaction derived from the nucleus of his communal spaces. It is hard to tell if these agonizing episodes of social critique are borne out of his bouts of existential unease or if it is the other way around. After all, the paradox of specific human experience is that no matter how specific it is down to the minute detail, it will still stand as a universal concern. The sincere approach to personal experience is precisely shown through Legaspi’s lack of preference towards vibrant colors and other compositional ornamentations.