Winnie Go gives new meaning to ‘earthly possessions’

MANILA, Philippines — Artist Winnie Go has been to different parts of the world and witnessed what each country has to offer, but the common ground she's found is that the greatest gifts come from Earth itself.

Such is the nature — no pun intended — of her latest exhibition "Unearthed" in Artinformal Makati, curated by Salvador Joel Alonday, which runs until December 3.

As noted by fellow curator Stephanie Frondoso in her write-up for the exhibit, Go's "Unearthed" consists of various items typically found on the forest floor, only this time she has applied her own unique take on the would-be keepsakes.

From rocks and makeshift birds' nests to small sculptures resembling butterflies and dragonflies, Go has painted them with fantastical colors and wrapped some in an array of wires and rope, which make them appear otherworldly when in fact they are still of Earth.

The artist told Philstar.com in the middle of her exhibit a day after it opened that the different colors and designs stem from feelings, memories and experiences in her life, not just through her travels, but even visits to flea markets and her time learning to make pastries.

Much like the stones that can discovered on the ground, Go's rare flea market finds make their appearance in "Unearthed" through the antique door knobs she has collected over the years.

These door knobs are attached to boxes recycled from broken down 50-year-old fences made from fallen California redwoods, so the outcome is a series of "drawers" with differently colored earthly keepsakes.

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Go reiterated what Frondoso noted in her write-up that "nature is art in its most innocent state," and that innocence is given a fresh perspective because of how personal the artist has made the many pieces that make up "Unearthed."

"When you present memories this way, people will be curious, want to learn more and perhaps keep one for themselves," Go told Philstar.com, acknowledging that the goal is for each piece to find a new home with clients and buyers (though there are some she'd like to keep, as she has done in the past).

Like any other artist, Go feels a small heartbreak parting with her works, but she finds solace knowing these are people who now own something they never would have come across in their daily lives.

These include her precious door knobs, which she found in flea markets all around the world like France and Japan. The artist accepts that part of nature's cycle is what Earth gives is passed along to others, and it serves a greater purpose being in someone else's hands when one passes away.

As a concluding note, Go compared her painted stones to the heavy rocks people carry in their lives, but in applying her emotions and sharing them with everyone, she hopes some weight is lifted and people can better enjoy what the Earth has to give.

Apart from Go's "Unearthed," Celine Lee's "Free Space," Lui Medina's "Untitled (Notes on an Imaginary Island)" and Jill Paz's "Women Meeting at the Sacred Grove" are also on view at Artinformal Makati.

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