{"id":3857,"date":"2024-11-11T14:20:52","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T06:20:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/energetic-pink-donkey.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/artrising-art-beyond-flesh-herminio-tans-journey-into-the-sublime\/"},"modified":"2024-11-11T14:20:52","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T06:20:52","slug":"artrising-art-beyond-flesh-herminio-tans-journey-into-the-sublime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/energetic-pink-donkey.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/?p=3857","title":{"rendered":"#ARTRISING: The Sublime Art Of Herminio Tan\u2019s Bone Creations"},"content":{"rendered":"

For sculptor Herminio Tan, art is an extension of the self\u2014a medium through which an artist freely expresses himself. This is evident in his creations which helped reshape both the local and global art scene and the fashion industry during his 11 years as a visual artist. \u201cI think my art has evolved from dark to something light and bright, and it\u2019s driven by my emotions and personal experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Herminio Tan with his art piece, \u201cZen\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Resin, wood, metal, clay, and porcelain are the mediums that Tan use to create his art pieces but what has made him famous as a Filipino sculptor is his signature style\u2014wearable art made of skulls and animal bones.<\/p>\n

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Herminio Tan\u2019s wearable art for Preview Magazine Fashion Editorial, December 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Herminio Tan\u2019s headdresses made of bones and mixed media at Philippine Fashion Week Runway, 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Born to architect and interior designer parents in Isabela and surrounded by art at home from a young age, it\u2019s no wonder Tan developed an early fascination with the arts. In kinder, he already made his first sculpture with clay.<\/p>\n

Though artistically gifted, he pursued Mass Communication at Far Eastern University. It was in college that he turned creating into a passion after meeting a fashion designer who encouraged him to create his own fashion collection consisting of wearable sculptures. <\/p>\n

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Wearable sculpture photographed by Jerick Sanchez for Vulkan Magazine USA, 2014
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMahilig kasi akong mag-ukay no\u2019n kasi \u2018yung mga damit sa ukay, cinu-customize ko. Ginugupitan ko ng sleeves, dinodrawingan ko, ginagawa kong studded, kasi malaking Lady Gaga fan ako dati\u2026[I liked thrifting clothes and customizing them. I upcycle them by cutting their sleeves, drawing on their fabric, and adding studs because I was a huge fan of Lady Gaga],\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom someone who just, you know, makes artwork for himself, [I learned how] to make artwork for other people.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Nadine Lustre wearing Hermino Tan\u2019s wearable sculpture for her \u201cWildest Dreams\u201d album<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Vice Ganda wearing Hermino Tan\u2019s wearable art made of skull and mixed media for an awards show<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Heavily influenced by video games like StarCraft and Diablo 2, as well as films such as Alien and Predator, and anime series like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Voltes V, Tan\u2019s wearable sculptures reflect his passion for the eccentric and grotesque. They are an invitation to look beyond the tangible mixed media components of his art pieces and step into the portal of his \u201cbittersweet\u201d childhood and evolving, experimental art style.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can say my childhood is a little bit weird. It\u2019s bittersweet, I think, with that kind of childhood. It gave me the drive to be an artist,\u201d he recalls. <\/p>\n

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Wearable sculpture for Dicky Ishak Couture Singapore, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Herminio Tan\u2019s wearable sculpture photographed for Rank Magazine, March 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tan experienced a profound realization: the world had become a more frightening place, with many people suffering each day. Instead of showcasing art that reflected his childhood and the scars of his past, he decided to produce \u201causpicious\u201d works that convey hope, inspiration, and positivity, to uplift all who experience his sculptures.<\/p>\n

Drawing on themes of friendship and mental health, Tan\u2019s current work explores humanity\u2019s connection to both the inner self and the natural world. It\u2019s the very opposite of his early works but like his own journey from darkness to light, he transforms bones, resins, and other raw materials into something indescribably beautiful. He turns every grave into a garden, symbolizing change, growth, and healing; a testament to the beauty and terror of life and the self.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMemorable\u201d, mixed media<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\u201cRebirth of Daphne\u201d, mixed media<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tan looks up to Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, and Filipino artists Dex Fernandez (Garapata) and Sarah Geneblazo, but it is fellow sculptors Merlito Gepte, Paul Quijano, and Badz Palacio whom he considers his mentors.<\/p>\n

\u201cAng pinaka-nagustuhan ko sa sinabi niya when I met him in person [ay] \u2018kung kaya mong i-drawing \u2018yan, kaya mong i-ukit \u2018yan,\u2019 [What I liked the most about what he told me when I met him in person is, \u2018If you can draw it, you can sculpt it\u2019]\u201d he says when asked about the artists who guided him in his artistic journey, referring to Gepte.<\/p>\n

Each of Tan\u2019s pieces takes three to six months to complete. A tremendous amount of love, thought, and effort goes into every step of his process\u2014from brainstorming and sketching to production and final touches.<\/p>\n

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\u201cGentle Giant\u201d, mixed media<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to long walks and ample sleep, meditation, travel, and exercise fuel his creative spark. He excels at preventing burnout, making space for what truly drives him as an artist: the challenge of creating art for his clients.<\/p>\n

\u201cExciting siya and masarap gawin kasi \u2018yong mga vision niyo nagc-come together [It\u2019s exciting and fulfilling to do because your visions come together]. You get to execute people\u2019s fantasy, on how their artwork will look like,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cDauntless\u201d, mixed media and smokey quartz crystals<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\u201cMake You Feel My Love\u201d, mixed media<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Aside from fashion shows, Tan has showcased his talent in several solo and group exhibits since his first solo show in 2014, the most recent being in San Francisco, California, this year.<\/p>\n

His works were also displayed in several local shows and films including \u201cDirty Linen\u201d (2023), Mark Meily\u2019s \u201cMaledicto\u201d (2019), and Jose Javier Reyes\u2019 \u201cRecipe for Love\u201d (2018), and \u201cOur Mighty Yaya\u201d (2017).<\/p>\n

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Herminio Tan\u2019s artworks (center) on the set of \u201cDirty Linen\u201d (2023)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Herminio Tan\u2019s artworks on the set of \u201cOur Mighty Yaya\u201d (2017)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In September 2019, Illustrado Magazine named Tan one of the Top 100 International Filipino Designers, affirming his excellence in the art, film, photography, and fashion industries. He was also featured in DITO Telecommunity\u2019s \u201cG\u00e1ling DITO\u201d digital ad campaign in early 2024, celebrating emerging talent in the country. <\/p>\n

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Herminio Tan for DITO Telecommunication\u2019s \u201cGaling DITO\u201d campaign in 2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To mark his 10th year as a visual artist, Tan opened his own art gallery in his home in Antipolo, Rizal, showcasing his genius to clients and art enthusiasts who share his fascination with the sublime and otherworldly.<\/p>\n

Approaching his 12th year in the field, he is determined to not only create a powerful art that explores beauty, existence, and the human experience but also to mentor and inspire a new generation of artists, guiding them toward success in both their craft and careers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Each stroke in Herminio Tan\u2019s artwork tells a story of resilience and reinvention. His art is both a personal reflection and a universal expression of the human condition. #ARTRISING<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3858,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-the-great-filipino-story"],"pageone_source":{"pageone_source":"","author_name":"PAGEONE Online Network"},"_pageone_source":"","zyndk8_nxtgen_metadata":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/energetic-pink-donkey.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/energetic-pink-donkey.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/energetic-pink-donkey.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energetic-pink-donkey.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energetic-pink-donkey.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3857"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/energetic-pink-donkey.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3857\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energetic-pink-donkey.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/energetic-pink-donkey.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energetic-pink-donkey.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energetic-pink-donkey.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}