A Paramount, A Love Supreme

Bayawak

Sep 27 To Oct 27, 2024

In this solo online release by Bayawak, grief is love that persists. The show foregrounds the inevitable affinity between the two emotional states by framing love not only as an encounter of tenderness, but also of heartache, loss, and anguish.

Bayawak (Zachary Joshua Jamir) is a visual artist hailing from Imus, Cavite in the Philippines. With roots in street art and graffiti, he would then transition into the gallery setting with his brand of whimsical and otherworldly entities. His works are heavily influenced by pop culture, the natural world, the occult, magic and mysticism.

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The conceptual thrust of the release is primarily informed by the artist’s personal context. Having gone through a time of struggle, the artist conceived the show as an expression of gratitude to his loved ones—his family, friends, and pets—who helped him through adversity.


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My inspiration for using ‘love’ as my main concept is actually from my personal experience of going through heartache, loss, and grief. I feel like it is a way to cope and tackle those experiences. This is also my way of paying tribute to those who were there for me during my lowest, those who showed me love when I couldn’t feel it.

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Bayawak communicates this through a painterly scheme that oscillates between the two states: a tenor of longing permeates his works, yet it is concealed by the language of affection that marks the characters on his canvases.