Pow Martinez

What cannot be done in the “real” reality can be done in another world - a solo exhibition by Filipino artist Pow Martinez, who creates characters that reflect ourselves and humorously depicts the excesses of modern society in a beautiful nightmare, will be held

MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY is pleased to present Pow Martinez’s solo exhibition “Mental Door”. Pow Martinez (b. 1983, Manila, Philippines; lives and works in Manila) is a Filipino artist known for his expressionistic style of painting, blending bold colors with demonic, mutant-like characters to create compelling canvases. Martinez studied Visual Communications at the University of the Philippines and Painting at Kalayaan College. He is a recipient of the 2010 Ateneo Art Award for his exhibition 1 Billion Years at West Gallery, Philippines. He exhibits internationally and has worked with different media, from painting to sound. Martinez is also active as a noise musician under the stage name Sewage Worker. His recent exhibitions include Junk DNA at Silverlens New York; City Prince/sses at Palais de Tokyo in Paris; 50 Years in Hollywood at Pinto Art Museum in New York; Art Basel Hong Kong 2019 with Silverlens; WXXX, West Gallery, Manila.

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Often resembling a beautiful nightmare, Martinez’s paintings combine the mundanities of everyday life with elements of pop culture, resulting in darkly humorous works depicting society’s overconsumption. From his early sculptural and minimalist style, Martinez has moved away from academic calculations in art, transitioning to a more visceral, primal, and painterly world. He has filtered the constant feed of Instagram and YouTube through him, creating unconscious images and incorporating improvisational techniques reminiscent of jazz into his works in recent years. The vibrant canvases reflect the digital age, vividly capturing the excesses of modern society, such as flashy lifestyles and influencer culture. His works may seem comical at first glance, but they sharply critique societal norms that deserve scrutiny by walking the fine line between absurdity and poignancy. The exploration of painting is a deliberate choice for Martinez, and his passion remains unwavering. He describes this joy as “a classic, like playing the guitar or eating the food that you like”. This solo exhibition marks his first in ten years at MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY, featuring nine new paintings.

These Paintings live in their own world, I paint them to reflect the current life in our now, But in an imagined reality, a world filtered through me, a way to deal with the excess of information, images, technology and absurdities happening at the moment. I paint these images to record myself, a snapshot. I created these characters to reflect on ourselves, that in another world we can do things that we cannot do in our “real” reality. An escape in this mundane life. - Pow Martinez

Dates

July 4-26, 2025

Noon-6pm

Closed on Sunday, Monday and public holiday

Opening Reception

July 4, 6-8pm

Artist will be present.

MEGUMI OGITA GALLERY

New address: B1, 8-14-9 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan

+81-3-3248-3405

info@megumiogita.com