Scenes of Home in ‘Pagpauli, Iloilo’

‘Pagpauli, Iloilo’ features works capturing the landscapes, traditions, and everyday life of Iloilo

Home can be a place, a memory, or a feeling. For Filipino-American visual artist Gisele Muzones, it is all three.

Ahead of Iloilo City’s Charter Day on Aug. 25, the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA) turns its gaze toward home with Pagpauli, Iloilo, a solo exhibition that traces Muzones’ connection to her Filipino roots through paintings inspired by her visits to Iloilo.

“Pagpauli,” a Hiligaynon word meaning “returning home” or “going home,” gives the exhibition its emotional thread. Through landscapes, traditions, and ordinary moments, Muzones revisits places that became familiar while discovering them anew through an artist’s eyes.

Part of Muzones’ Philippines Painting Series, the exhibition features works drawn from places and experiences that shaped her time in Iloilo.

Muzones turns familiar gatherings and food into personal studies of home, memory, and connection in her Philippines Painting Series 

In Views from Bucari, a small village sits between misty mountains, inspired by a hike Muzones took with friends in Bucari. The painting captures the quiet beauty of the highlands outside Iloilo City.

Gisele Muzones revisits memories of Nagpana Falls in ‘I Know a Spot,’ drawing from the everyday scenes she encountered during her visits to Iloilo 

I Know a Spot, inspired by Nagpana Falls, features three boys sitting above the waterfall. The work also captures the everyday life around it, from children swimming in shallow pools to families spending afternoons by the water.

Then there is The Opening Salvo, a vivid tribute to Dinagyang. A dancer in full festival regalia takes center stage, with bold colors and intricate details capturing the movement, devotion, and cultural pride of Iloilo’s iconic celebration.

The exhibit explores Muzones’connection to her Filipino roots through paintings inspired by her visits to Iloilo 

Muzones also offers a more accessible way to own her art through selections from her Mini Collector Club.

Each release includes a signed 5×7 fine art print, a 2×2 sticker, and the story or inspiration behind the featured work, giving collectors a glimpse into the memories behind the paintings.

Pagpauli, Iloilo opened to the public with an artist talk on Aug. 21 and runs through Sept. 5 at the ILOMOCA Museum Shop.

ILOMOCA continues to provide a platform for contemporary artists in the region, giving audiences a chance to encounter works shaped by place, memory, and personal experience.

— Agence France Presse