In his returning solo exhibition with Eskinita, 2019 Tuklas Grantee Mark Laza returns to the ground of his beginnings, affirming roots that extend beyond aesthetic lineage. Born into a working-class family, he draws from the lived realities of his parents, most notably his father, who labored overseas during Laza’s childhood. At a tender age, he was left to care for his sibling, carrying early responsibilities alongside his pursuit of Fine Arts in college. Since high school, Laza has turned steadily toward his own experiences and observations, shaping works that bear witness to society from within, and giving form and voice to the enduring lives of workers.

Ang Tagapawis ruminates on personal histories while engaging with the artist’s formative encounters with activism. His awareness deepened as he was introduced to the realities of political life and the social dynamics of the everyday. 

Entrenched in a distinct realist practice, Laza works within figuration as a bearer of lived wisdom. His palette is dreamy and nostalgic, drawn from earthy tones that recall dirt, sweat, and grime; a chromatic language aligned with his chosen subjects. Through measured brushwork and restrained line quality, Laza renders imageries that appear hushed, their quiet surfaces attuned to the works’ prevailing mood and tones. Yet, beneath this stillness, his paintings speak loudly of grief and discontent. Simple in composition, the works in this exhibition unfold complex narratives, where symbols carry forward the process of arriving at insight.

-Janine Dimaranan