HUMAN beings are consciousness in motion. They are essentially embodied beings defined by layers of memories, emotions, imagined fears and sensory pleasures which make up their existence.
They have the intelligence to both perceive and create beauty as well as anticipate and recognize the grotesque and the surreal.
It is this very duality that Jose Vinluan “Pinggot” Zulueta has chosen to explore in his latest works.
Zulueta, photojournalist and visual artist, will be showcasing a series of portraits on paper and canvas, in “Incepto: Ink Drawings,” March 10-24, at Art Cube Gallery, Glorietta, Makati.

The title is Latin, which means to “begin, undertake or attempt.” It is a fitting title to signal the audience’s entry into the thoughts residing deep within the artist’s soul.
Most personal

In what can be considered his most personal collection to date, Zulueta unveils raw visual products shaped by the innermost workings of his mind. He offers a peek into his intimate musings on the internal struggles of man.
Showcasing manic ink figures in jet black, he delves into the most haunting aspects of the human psyche, scrutinizing his own personal challenges.

Serving as an autobiographical account, the collection is rooted in the period of depression and loneliness the artist experienced during his more solitary days.

Subconscious figures

Gleaned from the visual ideas that emerged from his dreams are a slew of revelations. The artist said he embraced these figures from his subconscious and launched them into the temporal world. Results are images that speak of the primal and internal fears that plague all of mankind.
His contemplations of the derelict state of existence have resulted in a suite of works with a powerful energy and a strong visual impact.

More than visual catharsis, Zulueta gives a voice to the anxiety experienced by many people in the shadows. Through these very figures, he offers hope for redemption as his works also serve as a celebration of people’s capacity to transcend dark thoughts as he himself had done by asserting his passion for his artwork amid his depression and anxiety.
His new collection is an ode to human sensibility, for all the faults it may present, and the infinite potential that lies within it.

In the end, these figures do not represent the demons of man, but rather his ability to endure and prevail with the battlecry “Incepto ne desistam” (May I not shrink from my purpose!).