TO say “I’m here” could save the life of someone we know. To be in the present could make the most difference, because in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives people often forget what’s most important. Presence has become abstract; distance only a memory. People no longer need to be physically around to say that they’re available. But if that’s the case, are people really present? Are those green circles beside our names enough to fill the void that could be filled by an embrace?
Artist Golda King sparks conversation with her recently concluded exhibit entitled “Here” in the foyer space of Qube Gallery located in Crossroads, Banilad, Cebu City. The exhibit portrays the longing for physical presence and companionship and the satisfaction of an embrace, through a mix of figurative pieces with an impressionist and expressionist style. The paintings show individuals wrapped in each other’s arms, exchanging gestures that are intimate. Golda explained that this is the kind of embrace only couples, partners, pairs, close friends and family share with one another. These are individuals who are longing for security, intimacy, trust, happiness, especially in times of doubt and anxiety. These are the same people who also found all of the above after years of search, tears and hardship.
The artworks hit the core of one of society’s most pressing contemporary issues: the increasing rate of suicide. It is most unfortunate that online presence has minimized physical presence. Happy photos dominate social media yet behind the screens are faces lined with pain only hidden from sight. Since the option to hide has been made available, people tend to get busy and isolate themselves, forgetting that no man is indeed an island.
The artist herself admitted that as artists as solitary beings, she herself often goes under isolation. The fact is that she works alone most of the time, whether she likes it or not. With no obligatory set of working hours, she decides by herself. She disciplines herself so she would sometimes end up working beyond normal hours. In effect, this can make her passionately absorbed with her art, making her forget interacting with other people outside her studio. But because she has been significantly growing as a conscientious person and artist, she deliberately pushes herself to be more aware of her person and the people around her.
“Here” is a testament of a thorough personal introspection. According to curator Vinnie R. Tan, Golda “has allowed herself to be scared, vulnerable, and anxious and eventually thrusted onward. The very things that challenged her served as her inspiration. Golda embraced her life and indeed she is completely here.”