Secret Fresh at Manila Art

Secret Fresh Exclusive Release of Art Toys by Bjorn Calleja, JP Cuison 

and Christian Tamondong at  Manilart2011 at NBC Tent at The Fort

Secret Fresh will be gracing this year’s Manilart to be held from *August 24 -27 at The NBC Tent at The Fort *and will be releasing a limited edition versions of Bjorn Calleja’s Color Bringer, JP Cuison’s Rizalborg and Christian Tamondong’s Boxboy exlusively for Manilart. 

Bjorn Calleja’s Color Bringer, to be released in mono and in 15 limited editions, takes off from his previous solo exhibit titled as his toy which is a personification of a reluctant rainbow giver to a world that has ceased to thrive in wonder and imagination. While JP Cuison’s Rizalborg, inspired from one of his line of Gigzilla posters, is a refashioning and modernizing of the national hero in response to today’s fast-paced technology-dependent lifestyle. In Cuison’s own words, he considers the Rizalborg as an “upgrade” by which all Filipinos should aspire for to keep up with the quick pace of development and trends.  The Rizalborg has been included in the Yuchengco Museum’s Rizalizing The Future exhibit.  For Manilart 2011, 6 one-off editions of Rizalborg in Pop Pantone colors shall be released. 

Christian Tamondong’s BoxBoy Skrull, to be released in 20 limited editions, is a variation on his previously released Boxboy which was among the first collectible art toys that Secret Fresh has released in collaboration with a local artist. According to Tamondong, Boxboy is an embodiment of a childhood wish to fly and wander to different places and which only his imagination has enabled him to do so. All these art toys would be unveiled at the Gala opening of Manilart on August 24. 

Also at the Manilart, on *Saturday August 27 at 5PM*, Secret Fresh will be having its own toy auction program, to be commenced by a presentation by JP Cuison who will give a talk on his inspiration behind the  Rizalborg and his Gigzilla line of posters, aside from an introduction to the custom art/collectible art toys scene. This will be complemented with a live demo of art toy customizations by fellow FEU alumnus and Pilipinas Street Plan members Whoop and Nemo Aguila, who both have produced collectible art toys with Secret Fresh. One-off custom editions of their toys Mr. Brain Freeze by Whoop and Bochog Manster by Nemo Aguila would be among those that will be auctioned off together 

with other custom Munny toys.

MANILART 2011 is presented by the Bonafide Art Galleries Organization (BAGO) and the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and co-presented by Allied Bank and Contemporary Art Philippines with the support of Bellarocca, Business Mirror, Business, World, Colleen and Derwent Art Supplies, Crown Fine Arts, La Creperie, Las Casas Filipinas de Azucar Heritage Resort, Manila Bulletin, Mercato Centrale, Midas Hotel, Oakwood Premiere, Pebeo Art Supplies, Ronac Art Center, Secret Fresh, Sustain Pro Complex, UNO Magazine, and Uratex Premium.

Crazy Lil Thing Co'llab

A Crazy Lil Thing Co'llab Group Show : Bigboy Cheng, Christian Tamondong, Noel Cruz, Bjorn Calleja, Nemo Aguila, Jason Montinola, Erik Sausa, Dave Lock, Bru Sim, MArcushiro, Allan Balisi, Tatong Torres, Cos Zicarelli, Epjey Pacheco Egg ,Fiasco, Jigger Cruz and Beejay Esber and JP Cuison

31 July - 23 August 2011 Secret Fresh Gallery, Ronac Art Center, Greenhills, San Juan

Collaborations can be seen as transactional negotiations that purports to fairgame without winners or losers but individual dominance eliminated for the pursuit of a unified collective goal. Hence, collaborations can be seen as experiments in social relationships and as an exercise in group dynamics. In art, collaborations have endured as platforms of creative play and or as an open even-handed sport of one-upmanship. The result of which is a picture that integrates the stylistic DNA of all its creators into a hybrid entity that knows no master, free to be its own creature within its plastic domain of viscous paint, gesso, varnish and all the wherewithals of the blood and guts of its consensual wielders and breeders; or the consequence of a win-win solution – agreeing to disagree for a picture whose problem is to complete itself in the mix of conspiratorial hands.

A Crazy Lil Thing Co’llab is one such exhibit which gathers conspirators Bigboy Cheng, Christian Tamondong, Noel Cruz, Bjorn Calleja, Nemo Aguila, Jason Montinola, Erik Sausa, Dave Lock, Bru Sim, MArcushiro, Allan Balisi, Tatong Torres, Cos Zicarelli, Epjey Pacheco Egg ,Fiasco, Jigger Cruz and Beejay Esber and JP Cuison. The process by which conspirators nee collaborators were paired were drawn by lots, the outcome of which would surely be a surprise as they’re forced out of their stylistic comfort zones as figurative painters were paired with abstract painters, with some collaborators meeting for the first time. This show also acts as a laboratory for all such experimentation, or a reanimation of the Surrealist parlor game the exquisite corpse as how Balisi, Torres and Zicarelli executed their collaboration.

A Crazy Lil Thing Co’llab will have its opening preview on July 31 6PM at Secret Fresh Gallery.

The exhibit will run until August 23, 2011 Secret Fresh is at G/F Ronac Art Center, Ortigas Avenue, Greenhills, San Juan MM

Secret Fresh is open from Mondays to Saturdays 2-10 PM and Sundays from 1 - 6PM.

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Press Release

Gadgets Magazine July 2011 BTS

Gadgets Magazine

July 2011: Cover and Photo Feature BTS

Jessy Mendiola

As white as snow, as pretty as a picture

I styled this shoot, so I called in some favors including from Kathy of SM Forever21,

Yekky of Miadore and of course Ally of Gold dot.

For the Location, I called up Big Boy Cheng of Ronac Art Center and Secret Fresh, he's more than happy to help out.

It pays to have good contacts, just make sure you'll return the

favor when they are the ones in need.

Necklace from Miadore which you can buy at House of Laurel

Black and White dress from Forever21

accessories from Forever21

Clothes and bracelets from Forever21

Necklace from Miadore c/o Yekky

All from forever21

It was hard to pullout from them because there are too many to chose from

but i ended with this bunch

2pairs of shoes from forever21 and another 2 from Gold dot

Gold Dot

Miadore Necklace

I dont have much pictures on the shoot coz I was tasked

to go on another shoot with the Petron Blaze Boosters.

So basically, I am doin' two shoots at the same time.

Here's our MUA, Jo Ticzon and our covergirl Jessy Mendiola

Donn Donato made her hair, and it was awesome

Our art director and our photographer Paul Ticzon

He's DIREK PAUL TICZON

just so you know. hahahaha.

artwork we're all over Secret Fresh and it was a cool addition to our concept

That's it for now

Secret Fresh; a fresh taste of art

I recently stalked BigBoy Cheng so I can contact him for a feature and so we can shoot at Ronac Art Center: One of my favorite places in the world. So yeah, all the things I love are there; Charlies, Yoggle, Secret Service which carries awesome Vans shoes, Obey x Bunker and Secret Fresh- a reaaaally cool toystore and gallery. It's paradise for an artist like me, and surely you will enjoy staying there too!

Secret Fresh will be joining the 2011 toycon Manila at SM Megatrade Hall on June 18 and 19.

To be launched this 1st of July 5pm at Secret Fresh, the toys, Topsy Turvy by Amanda Visell and Don Pedro Calavera by Carlos East.

I have been eyeing this babies since I saw them at Secret Fresh. You guys know how much I love basketball and this is definitely a manifestation of my little madness. Rose is too cute, he looks like T.I.:)

Too bad I didn't buy one. Yup, you can buy em per piece.

Here are some photos I took during our shoot at the Secret Fresh gallery

about Secret Fresh

Secret Fresh was born from a passion for collecting. What was once a childhood pastime had become a hub for mining new talent in the cross pollinating fields of graffiti, comics, film, animation, music, architecture, fine art and design. This commitment has grown to facilitate and showcase further this thriving field through its gallery.

Located in Ronac Art Center in San Juan, the primary hub for contemporary street fashion, design and lifestyle, and a landmark of innovative architecture, Secret Fresh likewise, is a pioneer in engaging local and foreign artists, both emerging and established ones, for collaborations on limited edition art toys and prints, coming up with truly contemporary pieces that are an alchemical mix of art and design, craft and commodity, timelessness and currency.

This engagement extends to having monthly exhibits of artists not limited to the traditional media, but to those who are daring to venture into exploring new forms that spark fresh dialogue and perspectives on the contemporary urban experience. This endeavor would hopefully herald a new era of appreciating art beyond its conventional boundaries.

Secret Fresh is also geared towards the works of those who are emerging from the street art scene and from established artists who are open to expanding their medium and artistic expression to the current modes of presentation, technique and materials, consequently broaching boundaries between the strictures of design and fine art, hence expanding the demographic of appreciation for both or from such resulting mix.