Abi Dionisio (b. 1987)
Direction
signed and dated 2018 (lower right)
oil on canvas
48" x 36" (122 cm x 91 cm)




EXHIBITEDOne East Asia Gallery, Travel Light, Singapore,September 25 - October 10, 2018
LITERATUREOne East Asia Gallery. Travel Light. Singapore. 2018.Page 12 with a full-color illustration on page 13.

Abigail Dionisio explores the multifaceted aspects of motherhood and femininity in this piece titled Direction. A hyperrealist oil painting, this piece depicts a patterned textile with small compasses scattered around and above it. A boat’s mast with its mainsail and headsail hoisted is intact in the topmost corner. One can notice that the boat’s hull is missing, and the textile serves as a fill-in. For Dionisio, the sail represents her precarious journey towards motherhood, with the wrinkled fabric symbolizing the stormy seas or the trials and tribulations she has to endure as a woman and as a mother. But through the tireless support of her husband, Welbart Bartolome, every step of her treacherous journey is on course. Through this piece, Dionisio celebrates a love bound by unwavering commitment in the face of life’s vulnerability. Direction was part of a joint exhibition in 2018 by Dionisio and Bartolome titled Travel Light. In the exhibition notes, One East Asia Gallery writes: “Abigail Dionisio and Welbart use sailboats and hot air balloons in their paintings to represent their voyage to life as a couple. With the boat’s connection to water, it is said to symbolize femininity and motherhood. The hot air balloons, on the other hand, are associated with social elevation, popularity, or fame.” (A.M.)