The Abducted Series by EJ Cabangon is part of a continuation of the artist’s primary collection which was first shown in Lugano, Switzerland. Represented as musings of Cabangon’s childlike impressions, Abducted Betty Boop, evoke a sense of innocence lost; their grey misshapen forms plea for our pity and renewed adoration. They are reminders of toys, our playthings - and how young minds can be refined or corrupted with what they see, hear, or feel.

 

One might ask the artist why he chooses cartoon representations. Is it perhaps to partly to invoke a sense of playfulness in an otherwise horrific situation? The parody is amusing, yet disturbing – provoking a discourse, perhaps, on our children’s future.  It probes us to question our perceptions of reality, exploring the limits of human vision. Undeniably, it is an art form no matter how you look at it, either from the craftsmanship and skill point of view, admiring the subtle layers of narrative added to the existing image.

EJ Cabangon, (b. 1973, Manila, Philippines) graduated from Philippines Women’s University in Manila with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in Painting. Whilst still in school, Cabangon was a finalist in the 25th Shell National Student Art Competition in 1992.

 

A maestro of the ‘dark and perfect art’ – his first overseas exhibition Mirror, Mirror was in Singapore in 2007. Renowned for his signature hyper-realistic oil paintings rendered in very fine detail, paying particular attention to minutiae, his works are never strict interpretations of scenes or subjects. Cabangon utilizes subtle pictorial elements to create the illusion of a reality, nudging the viewer to understand its underlying tru.... 

 

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