'SOMEDAY I’LL WISH UPON A STAR AND WAKE UP WHERE THE CLOUDS ARE FAR BEHIND ME' - Photograph Print on Archival Paper
Dimension: 46'' x 34''
Certification of Authenticity: Apricus Art Collection
Signature: Signed by Artist
Aeson Baldevia presents a triptych of photographs accompanied by an audio recording of letters he had written to his wife in 2021. These works are manifestations of his coping process through loss and grief. Months before their church wedding, the couple experienced the trauma of an unfulfilled dream: his wife was diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma, thus preventing them to bear a child. Each work in the triptych embodies themes of the Dream, the Nightmare, and the Reality. Through these works, Baldevia investigates “repetition compulsion”-- the unconscious need to re-enact previous traumas. A person with this condition repeats these traumas in new situations, which can act as a barrier to therapeutic change. Creating these works is the artist’s method of searching for acceptance and enlightenment.
Choose options
BIOGRAPHY
Aeson Baldevia is a Negrense visual artist who wears many hats as an image-maker. Homegrown and currently based in the City of Silay, his works have been featured in galleries across the globe over the years, including Switzerland, Belgium, London, South Korea, and Germany. His creative works include travel and commercial photography, documentary, and fine art image-making.
At the age of 14 years old, Aeson joined his first photo contest and won first runner-up at the Negros Environment Week against industry professionals two to three times his age. His momentum continued as he attended college at the University of St. La Salle, where he took up Liberal Arts and Commerce under AB Communications and a BS in Marketing. He left a legacy as the first and only four-time recipient of the university’s Corps d’ Elite Award for visual arts, Best Campus Photoblogger, and Campus Photojournalist in Western Visayas.
Baldevia has the instinct of a historian. His keen sensitivity to preserving cultural significance and defying impermanence through his photography catapulted him to his first international stage in 2017 when he had the distinction of being the lone Filipino finalist in the Celeste Prize in London for his work "Antes Sanda Madura / Before They Are Gone,” a visual homage to the indigenous community of Panay Bukidnon that documented their way of living. This same sensitivity can be seen in his other works as well, such as in “Ato Bala” for Art Fair 2023, “Whispers of Light: A Homage to Félix Laureano” for Viva EXCON 2023, and Para Sa Pumapasada: A Tribute to the Filipino Jeepney.
Notably, his photo entry “Look Up” was awarded third place at the FIBA International Photo Contest 2019 and prominently displayed at the House of Basketball in Switzerland.
The caliber of his work did not go unnoticed by the regional art community. In 2018, Orange Project offered him to exhibit his work with them. It was in this space that he debuted his work in a gallery format as part of a group show entitled “Cycles 003.” That was the start of a prolific collaboration between Baldevia and the contemporary art gallery.
Last November, Baldevia was part of a group artist residency under a collaborative project between Orange Project and Kunstkraftwerk Leipzig, where the Filipino artists recreated their exhibit, “Majica.” From his prolific 40-day residency in Leipzig, Baldevia recently published two photo books, namely, “From Point A to Point B” and “Midpoints Matter.”
Presently, his first solo exhibit is showing at Orange Project entitled “Chance Encounters,” an exhibit about empathy curating his fine art photography-based works.
Artist Statement
As a Negrense visual artist and image-maker, my work delves into the depths of human behavior, emotion, relationships, and the indomitable spirit of survival. Growing up and residing in the vibrant City of Silay, I strive to capture the essence of my homeland and beyond, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry and the resilience of the people I photograph.
Download Our App
Get the app on your preferred platform:
