When asked about abstract art, Pablo Picasso said: “You must always start with something. Afterwards, you can remove all traces of reality.”

This declaration means abstraction in its purest sense does not exist—that all abstraction was once a figure. It also means abstraction in the absence of that figure is that figure distilled until it is removed from this plane, and placed into what Michel Foucault called heterotopia—a place of emotion, memory, and resonance.

Abstraction thus bypasses the recall associated with figuration and delves straight into the psyche—that what makes visual art so powerful is in its ability to move you, after all.

Caress Banson uses abstraction to portray a wide range of social issues. Her practice draws upon the Abstract Modernist aesthetic. She imbues her canvases with a sense of buoyancy, springing each abstracted object alive with her fantastic eye for detail.

Her latest exhibition, “Caress Banson: Summer Blooms,” will be on display from April 7-12 at the 2/L Atrium of The Podium Mall; and from April 13-21 at Galerie Joaquin Podium, Unit B12-13, Lower Ground Level. With the slogan “Happy World, Happy Children,” Bantay Bata 163, the child welfare arm of ABS-CBN Foundation, continues to serve and protect abused, sick and underprivileged Filipino children.

Banson’s use of color is perhaps the dominant characteristic of the works in this exhibit. The artist also favors geometric patterns and bold swaths of brushwork to convey a lively and dynamic impression.

The works are reminiscent of the outdoors, particularly the sea with triangular forms recalling sailboats set against a blue horizon. The overarching theme is the bright colors and sense of hope during summer.

The exhibit is organized by Galerie Joaquin and is for the benefit of Bantay Bata 163.

Call Galerie Joaquin Podium at (632) 6347954 or (632) 7239418. E-mail [email protected].