Philippine-based JIGGER CRUZ’s artistic practice is rooted in ideas of defacement and vandalisation. Beneath his thick layers of impasto oil and spray paint are traditionally painted portraits and landscapes, giving the impression of profound wreckage. Given the high value that society places on traditional, realistic images, his work is known to stir feelings of both discomfort and freedom. His paintings thus become assemblages of recognisable objects and abstract, intricate forms that both entangle and connect, forming a visual paradox of disruption and harmony.
Most recently, Cruz expanded his oeuvre from these highly textured, relief-like paintings to full-blown three-dimensional bronze works. With its oozing surfaces and rough textures and dents, these sculptures bear semblance to the artist’s chaotic paintings and their grotesque abstract forms—yet, as they centre on the bronze material, his sculptures possess bolder and more brutal qualities.
UNTITLED
2020
Pen and ink on paper
Unframed: 29.7 x 21 cm | Framed: 48 x 40.5 cm
Diverting from his signature explorations with solid sculptures and vividly coloured, textured paintings, this monochrome pen and ink work by Jigger still radiates with energy. The bottom half of the canvas shows a detailed, realistic depiction of plants sprouting from the ground, placing us outdoors and immersing us in a fantasy nature scene. As we gaze towards the middle of the work, the piece grows more surreal—ornate swirls, evocative of elegantly curved brass instruments, suddenly pop out from the tree, brimming with vibrant sound and movement. Finally, at the top half of the piece, raw abstraction pervades. Rough, random circular strokes fill the paper, contrasting and complementing the refined flora at the bottom.
This abstract force sets the mood for the entire work—disrupting the peace like the harsh, unpredictable winds in a hurricane. Yet amidst the chaos, a bamboo tree trunk firmly stands in the middle—commanding our attention and literally grounding us back to earth. The thin trunk here serves as a moving symbol of steady inner strength as life drastically moves from calm to turbulent.
UNTITLED 2
2020
Pen and ink on paper
Unframed: 29.7 x 21 cm | Framed: 48 x 40.5 cm
In this piece, Jigger creates yet another pen and ink work that breaks the boundaries between figuration and abstraction. Employing his quintessential raw and rugged style, he creates an organic background packed with quick, energetic strokes and loose shapes that evade easy identifications—blurring together into one abstract disorder. Yet at the centre, a tall, refined object emerges, separating itself from the chaotic background. Several small circles, which are shaded and defined such that they vividly pop out, compose its body, while long cylinder objects, akin to telescopes, are fastened at its top. Strange and alien as it appears, the figure possesses a fluid, adaptable form that does not entirely blend in nor stand out against its background. In this ambiguity, the piece provocatively captures the struggle to balance accepting and welcoming the chaos around us, while still holding our own and not permitting ourselves to be consumed.