Sophie Cazimi / Université Libre de Bruxelles Intern
NIKO BLANCO & DEXTER DURAN /Photographer
“This Discomfort Is Not Resentment,” a group exhibition curated by Jude Crisostomo, known as Monochaotic, brings together seven Cebuano artists and asks a difficult question: what does it mean to stay?
Inaugurated on May 16, 2026, at Tea + Gallery in Cebu City, the exhibition gathers Cebuano artists under one space, including Bart Bombard, Golda King, Mia Go, Ronyel Compra, Jan Sunday and Monochaotic himself.
The exhibition grew out of Monochaotic’s own dilemma after returning from working in London.
“For a long time, I was asking myself whether to stay or leave,” he said. “Eventually, I decided to stay and make do with what I have here.”
Rather than framing discomfort as bitterness, the show treats it as a productive tension, the unease that comes with choosing to remain in a place where making art is rarely easy.
“Whether we stay or leave, that discomfort is always there,” Crisostomo said. “This show celebrates those who stay and acknowledges those who left.”
The participating artists come from different circles within Cebu’s contemporary art scene, many balancing their practice with other jobs or businesses.
“I find it very powerful when people continue to make art even when it’s not their full-time work,” he said.
‘Monobloc’
Among the artworks, Monochaotic’s centerpiece is the white monobloc chair found in homes, schools and government offices across the Philippines.
Cheap, practical and almost impossible to avoid, the chair becomes a metaphor for the kinds of discomfort people learn to accept.
“It’s uncomfortable, but we’ve all lived with it,” he said.
Monochaotic photographed monobloc chairs in different settings around Cebu, then stitched and altered the images.
For the artist, the ubiquitous plastic seat reflects both the everyday realities of Filipino life and the way unease becomes normalized.
The exhibition venue, which combines a gallery and tea shop, was opened two years ago by Alexa Crisostomo and Angel Tudtud. It has since become a welcoming venue for emerging and established artists alike. “This Discomfort Is Not Resentment” ran until Saturday, May 23. S