For “Walking Forward and Looking Back,” Fitz Herrera goes deeper into abstraction and makes a virtue of truth-telling out of distortion.

Herrera said his abstracts are “imagery of life in all its contradictions.” “Humans engage with reality more sharply when confronted with distortions,” he explained.

Herrera said he would work through memory, engendered by an emotional experience with the physical world. Particular memories of strong experiences—sadness, happiness, peace, delight and awe—are interpreted through color and texture.

Herrera’s artmaking, according to art writer Grace A. Ng, is very physical. “He energetically covers the canvas with thick layers of paint that are worked and reworked,” she said. “The texture becomes an object as well as a space; it is overflowing with restless energy. This method allows him utmost control, suggesting emotions and states of being rather than detailing. The artist loves the challenge of rebelling against the rules of order and finding passages of harmony in the discord.”

Fitz Herrera (b. 1978) trained at the University of the East – College Fine Arts where he majored in advertising arts. He has won the Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (Made) award.

“Walking Forward and Looking Back” by Fitz Herrera will be on view until July 3, at Galerie Joaquin (3/L, The Podium, ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City).

Artist’s reception is on June 26 at 6 p.m. —CONTRIBUTED

Tel. 6347954, 7239253; e-mail podium.galeriejoaquin@gmail.com.