Galleria Duemila will be exhibiting the recent works of Filipino artist, Charlie Co, this December 8^th, 2007, titled, “Portraits of China Men”.  The exhibit will run until the end of the month. 

            Born in Negros, Bacolod, in 1960, he co-founded a group called “The Black Artists of Asia” who became known for their politically and socially motivated artworks: which still is evident in his recent work.  He uses art to provoke, to inspire, to make one reflect upon current issues.  His art is political, capturing the sentiment with a surrealist’s hand, since the 1980s, which were politically turbulent times.  He paints it as he sees it, as he experiences it.  The result is a dramatic portrayal of the time, the issues, without being dated, instead becoming timeless. 

            Co has exhibited not only in the Philippines, but internationally.  He has been featured in articles and acclaimed by critics.  His art has always been intrinsically Filipino, but now it has evolved into a global being. 

            This exhibit is the result of Charlie Co’s stay in China earlier this year.  He sees China through the eyes of a Chinoy, or Chinese-Filipino.  It is interesting to see the result of this profound experience, the canvases are bursting with color and what seems like playful imagery, yet the stories behind them are quite serious. 

            In “Minister of Health” for instance- he shows a Chinese man wearing a gas mask and wearing a coat peppered with skulls.  He plays with irony, without a bit of sarcastic humor-that the Health Minister, despite his position in the government, whose concern is health and yet wears a gas mask, shows that pollution is a tough problem to solve as it is being experienced now in China.  

            He depicts his Chinamen all wearing bowler hats and western clothing- as now China is being recognized as a world powerplayer, much as the Western super powers are.  There is the shift now back to the East from the West, and Charlie Co takes this and records this time on his canvasses.  He is a global artist, as well as being a Filipino one.  He tackles issues and ideas through his paintings, perhaps with a bit of irony and humor, digging deeper into the psyche of societies, of government, pushing boundaries and removing our blinders.  He shows us what sometimes our minds refuse to see…and he does it with color and bold strokes, showing us reality through surrealism.   

“I try to record the political time with my art, painting global political landscapes, but I have not even scratched the surface.”

                                                                                                -Charlie Co 

For exhibition inquiries, please call (63) 831-9990 and (63) 833-9815, or email duemila@mydestiny.net .  Galleria Duemila is located at 210 Loring St. Pasay City, Philippines. The gallery is open everyday except Sundays and holidays.