PLATA FLORA is the first solo exhibit of Jandy A. Carvajal, 

a recepient of the 2014 Cultural Center of the Philippines - VAMD Exhibition Venue Grant. 

 

PLATA FLORA re-presents the time-honored art of repoussé,

a technique for creating reliefs on metal by pressing or hammering its reverse side. The Philippines has remarkable examples of repoussé on santo accessories and carozas, the decoration on kalesas, and surviving pre-Hispanic gold artifacts. All of these continue to inspire Jandy. His current medium for showcasing repoussé, however, is salvaged aluminum, a more accessible alternative to the metals traditionally used for this art form.

This collection titled PLATA FLORA succinctly alludes

to the color and material Jandy uses for depicting flowers

as subjects and motifs. The salvaged aluminum he has been working on is sometimes mistaken for silver due to its shiny gray appearance. This underscores recycling as a method that can be incorporated and maximized in art making.

While floral motifs are featured on sacramentals and kalesas, Jandy endeavored to develop a wider and more distinct variety

of motifs based on familiar flowers in the Philippines, most

of which he has admired since childhood. Depicting fragrant blossoms, orchids, ornamentals, and even wild flowers,

PLATA FLORA practically becomes a shimmering procession

of bouquets, just in time for the year’s Flores de Mayo.