Artist-metalsmith Ram Mallari Jr.’s three-horned dragon looks ferocious despite its wings being riddled with bullet holes and its back burdened by the weight of a protruding mechanism.
Perched on a piece of driftwood, the sculpture “Fire Breather” captivates the eye not just for depicting the mythical creature that has invaded so much of pop culture, including “Game of Thrones” (Dany’s “children”), “The Hobbit” films (the sinister Smaug) and Tim Burton’s cinematic interpretation of “Alice in Wonderland” (the Jabberwocky). The components, which are found metal objects, demand closer inspection as well.
The protrusion between the dragon’s wings is actually a chunk of sewing machine—but you wouldn’t know it because that’s exactly the sorcery behind Mallari’s work. In his hands the scraps and discards seem to meld organically, transformed into a dozen representations of war and combat in the one-man exhibit “Let the Battle Begin.” It was staged during the recent four-day run of History Con 2017 at World Trade Center in Pasay City.
Mallari’s warriors, superheroes, battle stations and war transport were formerly automotive parts, desktop computer casing, and pipes, hose valves and power-supply contraptions of sea vessels.
Perhaps it’s that ability to repurpose the old into new—and with so many astounding details, too—that attracted HCon organizers to his work. Mallari was commissioned to make an artwork of the History Network logo, and the output greeted HCon guests at the main hall entrance.
The large-scale piece was an attraction in itself, a magnet for photo-ops or social media posts just like Mallari’s “Battle of the Nuts,” a chess table with set pieces made of, well, nuts and bolts.
The hardest aspect of his work, said the artist, is finding the metal pieces that would fit perfectly.
Looking at the breadth and scale of his sculptures, whether it’s the Dark Knight in rusted gear or a naval battle station built with computer parts, it seems a challenge that’s very much under Mallari’s control.
Visit Ram Mallari Jr.’s Facebook page and galeriejoaquin.com
