Dex Fernandez is an interdisciplinary artist who lives and works in Quezon City, Philippines. With a drawing practice sourced from street art and found footage, Fernandez’s practice ranges from paintings, drawings, and animations to murals, mixed media works and photography. Through juxtaposition of religious iconography with pop imagery, children’s drawings, tattoo motives and cut outs from adult magazines, Fernandez’s eclectic compositions challenge the traditional definitions of high culture and fine art. By adding imaginary landscapes, patterns and creatures to found images, he explores the idea of found memories and appropriation.
Works of Dex Fernandez had been part of numerous local and
international exhibitions, presenting his works in spaces such as UP Vargas
Museum, Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Museum of Design and
Contemporary Arts (MCAD), Pinto Art Museum, Drawing Room, Pablo Gallery, West
Gallery, Finale and Silverlens in Manila, as well as Palais de Tokyo in Paris,
Primo Marella Gallery in Italy, Topaz Arts in New York, Osage Foundation,
Lightbomb Contemporary and Rossi & Rossi in Hong Kong, 1am Gallery in San Francisco
and Owen James Gallery in Brooklyn, NYC.
Also participated at the first Urban Art Fair in Paris, (2016) and
Singapore Art Biennale 2016.
He also completed residency programs at the following
institutions: Vermont Studio Centre (2011), Ping Pong Art Space Taiwan (2012),
Lir Art Space, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2013) Asian Cultural Council, New York
(2015), Art Center Ongoing, Tokyo (2016), Hidden South, Taiwan (2018)
Fernandez is a recipient of 13 Artists Awards 2015,
by Cultural Center of the Philippines.
He is also known for his ongoing street art project called Garapata
and collaborated with commercial brands mainstream and underground.
My style is highly
stylized with multiple layers of meaning. I lend a hand into associating
different concepts and bring to light a third, unique message that was before
unapparent. From images and materials, I collage, hopefully a new endless
maze-like world of possibilities take shape- staying true to my unusual
personal aesthetic.
-Dex
Concept of Garapata
Garapata is a whimsical representation of social pyscho-delic landscape that observes the intertwined experiences of human behavior influenced by the other with bizarre context in which it occurs. In other words; a socio-political mind-trip.
History of Garapata
It was a
childhood experience involving pets and pest that gave birth to the idea of
Garapata.
When I was a
kid, we used to own a dog that lived inside our house. Unfortunately, it became
infested with ticks – garapata as we call them in the Philippines. We tried to
cure it but the situation got worse over time. Soon, it wasn’t just the dog
that was infested. The ticks found their way around our home as they scattered
in different places. We began seeing them at the living room, crawling at the
tables, making their way up the curtains and even at our television set. My
siblings and I would spend hours catching the ticks, looking at the nooks and
crannies of our home and the dog’s fur. We would catch and drown them in
gasoline but no matter how often we do this, it seemed that we couldn’t get rid
of them all. We were then left with no choice but to give away the dog. Our
home became tick-free again but this experience left a big impression on me.
This
fascination manifested when I entered the world of graffiti. I thought, “Why
shouldn’t I infest different places with ticks by placing Garapata art
everywhere?” I was trying to continue the infestation the only way I know how –
through public art.
Instagram: @dexfernandez / @garapata_ / @garapatastore
STUDY
2005
Technological University of the Philippines / Fine Arts
Art-Residencies:
March 4 – 14, 2022
Playa La Caleta Resort, Bataan Philippines
April 9 – May 30, 2018
The Hidden South Art Project, Taitung Taiwan
May 20 – July 26, 2016
Ongoing Art Center, Tokyo, Japan
May – Nov 2015
ACC – Asian Cultural Council, New York, USA
Dec 1 – Dec 15, 2013
Lir Art Space, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Sept 5 – Oct 12, 2012
Ping Pong Art Space, Taipei, Taiwan
Oct 23 – Dec 16, 2011
Vermont Studio Center, Vermont US
Art-Biennale
:
November 2018
Off-Biennale Cairo
Darb 1718 Cairo Egypt
Oct 2016 – Feb 2017
Singapore Biennale, 6th Edition.
Singapore Art Museum
Art Projects:
August 2023
Garapata Artificial Reef 2.0, Curimao Island Ph
March 2022
Garapata Artificial Reef, Playa La Caleta Bataan Ph
World Expo 2020, Dubai UAE
August 2020
Special Project for Art in the Park
Feb 2020
Special Project for ALT Philippines 2020
Dec 2019
Garaparty, Flux Factory, NYC USA
August 2018
GaraPop-up, RAT Art Space, Ballarat Australia
May 2017
Garaparty, Taitung Taiwan
Feb 2018
Garaparty, Limbo, Makati City
Feb 2017
Special Project for Art Fair Philippines 2017
Feb 2014
Special Project for Art Fair Philippines 2014
Collaborations:
2024
Lakat Shoes
Havaianas
GCash
2023
Agnes B (Fashion Brand)
H&M (Fashion Brand)
2022
Minsan (Design Object)
Frederique Constant (Luxury watches)
Bumi and Ashe Pottery
2021
Kumu
Bumi and Ashe Pottery
2019
Zacarias 1925
Oppo Reno (Mobile Phone)
Gallery by Chele (Restaurant)
2018
Royalty (Clothing Brand)
Eairth (Fashion Brand)
Zacarias 1925
Award:
13 Artist Awardee of 2015
Cultural Center of the Philippines
SOLO
EXHIBITIONS:
October 5, 2023
Look, A Loop, Art Informal Makati, Philippines
May 2021
Synchrodelic Hybrid Fractals West Gallery, West Ave. Quezon
City, Philippines
September 5, 2019
22ESB75CC Finale Art File, Chino Roces Ave., Makati City,
Philippines
February 3, 2018
GC:123 Cultural Center of the Philippines, Pasay City
October 15, 2017
GC3: Mating Season Pinto Art Gallery, Pinto Art Museum,
Antipolo City
April 1, 2017
Drawing Room X Dex Fernandez Drawing Room Gallery, Pasong
Tamo Ext Makati City, Philippines
September 8, 2016
GARAPARTY Altromondo Gallery, Greenbelt 5, Makati City
Philippines
May 20, 2016
→ Art Center Ongoing, Kichijoji Tokyo, Japan
October 31, 2015
310E44R822 Owen James Gallery, Greenpoint Brooklyn New York
City NY, USA
June 5, 2015
The Moth and The Bulldozer Hudson D. Walker Gallery,
Provincetown MA, USA
April 15, 2015
The Triangle Man and The Flightless Diawata (!0th Romeo
Forbes Storytelling) Book Launch Vargas Museum, UP Diliman QC Philippines
July 3 – August 2, 2014
1000000000mg West Gallery, West Ave. QC Philippines
October 26 – November 20, 2013
Solignum Attack; Garapata Stool Launch Vinyl on Vinyl,
Malugay St. Makati City Philippines
January 12 – February 2, 2013
: - ) Pablo Gallery, Fort Bonifacio Global City Taguig
Philippines
September 29, 2012
B/W/TPE Pingpong Artspace, Taipei, Taiwan
February 12, 2012
Garapata Toy Launch Secret Fresh Gallery, Ronac Art Center,
Ortigas Philippines
December 6, 2011
VSCX Red Mill Gallery, Vermont Studio Center, Vermont, USA
September 13 – October 8, 2011
XOXOXO West Gallery, West Ave. QC Philippines
February 16 – March 19, 2011
\m/ 20sq Slab/Silverlens, Makati City Philippines
January 20 – February 24, 2010
- + * Pablo Gallery, Fort Bonifacio Global City Taguig
Philippines
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024
(Sept) NPNR, Edoweird, Quezon City
(Sept) Legal PSP 18th Anniv Show, Kalawakan
Spacetime, Quezon City
(Sept) To Cast A Shadow There Must First Be Light, Aphro,
Makati City
(August) As the Intricate Key Turns: Works from an
Archipelago, YOD Gallery, Tokyo Japan
(August) Distant Fires (Part 2), Tarzeer, Makati City
(August) Synergy Bunso, Makati City
(June) Kilig Much, Gallery Sort Of, Quezon City
(June) The Imperative of Blue, Ayala Museum, Makati City
(Feb.) Street Dreams: The Art of Pop Surrealism, Art Plus
2023
(Nov.) Wash Your Brush, Provenance, Makati City
(Sept.) Tagusan, Pinto Art Museum, Antipolo City
(Sept.) 18th Pablo, Post Gallery Quezon City
(July) Templo, A Silkscreen Show, Talyer 15, Pasay City
(June) Double Vision, Pablo Gallery, The Fort Taguig City
(May) A Great Show, The Drawing Room, Makati City
(April) Piging Sining, West Gallery, Quezon City
(March) Objects of Affection, Aphro Makati City
(March) More Than A Ritual, Post Gallery Quezon City
(Feb) Pamana, Art Cube, Makati City
(Jan) Regeneration, Art Cube, Makati City
(Jan) A Room To Think by Helping Hands Foundation, Pinto Art
Museum, Antipolo City
2022
(Dec) Christmas Group Show, Finale Art File, Makati City
(Dec) Off The Wall Manila-Paris Connexions, Vinly on Vinyl,
Makati City
(Nov) No Name Show, Gravity Art Space, Quezon City
(Sept) Backrun Watercolor Show, Boston Gallery, Quezon City
(Sept) Neighborhood, R Gallery, Quezon City
(Aug) Man and Monster, Orange Gallery, Bacolod
(July) ClockWork, Kalawakan Spacetime, Quezon City
(July) The Little Big Art Show, Vintana Art Gallery, Makati
City
(July) The Thousand-Yard Stare (for and of Bree Jonson),
Gravity Art Space, Quezon City
(March) A New Earth, Kalawakan Spacetime, Quezon City
2021
(Dec) Transmitting: Thoughts and Prayers, Modeka Gallery,
Makati City
(Dec.) Finale Year Ender Show, Finale Gallery Makati City
(Nov.) Casa Echandia, Bogota Colombia (March) Alternating
Atmosphere, Finale Art File, Makati City
2020
(October) Now Showing, Bliss on Bliss Art Projects, Bogota
Colombia
(October) Purgatoryo, Nuzen Art Gallery, Tagaytay Cavite
2019
(December) Inaugural of New Wing, Pinto Art Museum, Antipolo
City
(December) Inaugural , Art Sector, Antipolo City
(December) ACC 58th Gala Night, NYC, USA
(November) The Empty Chair Project, Metropolitan Museum,
Manila City
(February 2) Re-imagined of Eames Chairs, Vinyl on Vinyl,
Makati City
2018
(August 2-5) Melbourne Art Fair, Melbourne Australia
(July 19) PINTOKYO, Hillside Forum,, Tokyo Japan
(May 26) Hidden South, South of Taitung, Taiwan
2017
(December 13) Seven in Consortium, GIG Gallery in the
Gutter, Makati City
(November) Salo-Salo, J-Studio, Pasong Tamo Makati
(October 14) SCOPE: Pingpong set# 1 / Screening of videos
works from the Philippines, Presented by 98B Collaboratory (Manila)
and Space Ppong (Gwangju)
(August 27) The Farced Eyed, Kalawakan Spacetime, Quezon
City Philippines
(August 19) In Between Spaces: Video/Photo Exhibition, No.26
Core Plaza, No.1 Shanyuan St Zhongguancun, Haidian, Beijing China
(August 19) Merthiolate , Metro Gallery, Mandaluyong City
Philippines
(August 19) Drawing Room Group Show, Drawing Room, Makati
City Philippines
(May 22) Pinto Manila x Manhattan 24hour Art SHow, Urban
Zen, Greenwich Manhattan NY
2016
(Sept 15) Mars Ravelo Reinterpreted, Cultural Center of the
Philippines
(Sept 2) 36 Asia Young Artists, Jeonbuk Museum of Art,
Jeonju, Korea
(August 19) MASK, Diesel Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
(July 23) Sticker Party, BnA Koenji Tokyo, Japan
(July 2) X – Pilipinas Street Plan 10th Yr Anniv., Pablo
Gallery, Fort Bonifacio Global City Taguig Philippines
2015
(March 21) Secret Archipelago Palais de Tokyo, Paris France
(March 7) South by Southeast Osage Art Foundation, Hing Yip
St. Kwun Tong, Hong Kong
(March 7) Fluidity and Encounters Rossi and Rossi Gallery,
Unit 3C, Yally Industrial Building, 6 Yip Fat Street, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong
2014
(Dec.) Alay, Boston Gallery, Quezon City
(Dec.) Interval, West Gallery, Quezon City
(Nov.) BookEnds, Blanc Gallery, Quezon City
(July 11) Maynila, Arndt Singapore
(July 4) Street Meet Festival, Saskatoon, Canada
(April 30) New Natives, LightBomb, Hong Kong
(April 3) Tabletop, Altro Mondo Gallery, Makati City,
(March 13) Drawn To Scale, Vargas Museum UP Diliman,
2013
(Oct.) Still, Blanc Gallery, Katipunan Quezon City
(April 10) Manila Vice: Part of Bastards of
Misrepresentation: Sete Museum, France
2012
(Nov3) Doing Time on Filipino Time: Part of Bastards of
Misrepresentation: NY Edition #2, Crossing Art Gallery, New York, USA
(Oct27) Bastards of Misrepresentation: NY Edition #2, Topaz
Arts, New York, USA
(Oct27) “Volume1”, Erehwon Center for the Arts, Quezon City
(Sept9) “Bloom Art Festival”, Cubao, Quezon City
(June9) From the Black Lagoon, Department of Avant Garde
Cliché, Pasong Tamo Ext. Makati City
(May3) Bastards of Misrepresentation, H Gallery, Bangkok,
Thailand
(April20) Outerhope, Blanc Gallery Shaw Blvd
(Jan11) Art Stage Singapore, / Pablo Gallery, Marina Bay
Convention Hall, Singapore
2011
(Sept 17) “Confessions
of a Sinner” Manila Contemporary, Whitespace Pasong Tamo Ext. Makati City
(Sept 16)
“Wallpaper 2” Pablo Gallery, Cubao X
(July 26) “A
Soundtrack to Nothing” Crucible Gallery, Mandaluyong City
(July 7) “Hats
On, Bottoms Off” Blanc
Compound, Shaw Blvd Mandaluyong City
(May 24) “Flatfield”,
West Gallery, West Ave. QC
(May 7)
“Survavalism”, Light and Space Contemporary
(Feb 8) “Boy
Cotter of Beauty and the Theoretical Steroid Defiled Modernist Chicken”, West
Gallery, West Ave. QC
2010
(October 14)
“Implode,
TUP Alumni Art Exhibit”, Bulwagan Juan Luna Main Gallery CCP, Pasay City
(October 7) “Berliner-liste:
Art Fair for Contemporary art and photography“,Pablo Gallery - Berlin,
Germany
(September) “Latitudes,
Encounter with the Philippines”, Primo Marella Gallery - Italy
(June 5) “Siren’s
Hall”, Mo Space, MOs Design, Global City Tagiug
(May 4) “3 x 3 +
9“, Magnet High Street, Bonifacio Global
City Tagiug
(January) “Happily
Unhappy”, Blanc Compound, Shaw Blvd Mandaluyong City
2009
(November 13) “Tabi Po Tabi Po: A Filipino folklore Exhibit
and Sound Installation”, 1am Gallery San Francisco, California USA
(November 6) “Forever and Ever and Ever and Ever , Valentine Willie Fine Art,
Singapore
(October 16) “FTW” 2man Show, Tala Gallery, Tomas Morato, Quezon City
(September 15) “The Spoils of Love, an Imagine Silence
Exhibit”, Ayala Greenbelt 5 and 3, Makati City
(June 14) “Hybrid
Moments” Kaida Art Gallery Kamuning Road
(June 13) “Love Rules” Boston Gallery, Boston
Street Cubao, Quezon City
(May 29) “If I Were
A Monster”, White Box Studio, Cubao-X Marikina Shoe Expo, Araneta Center, Cubao
(January 17)
“Magnum
Asupre 2” Bluewings Art Space Rafa’s deli & café, Unit C10 Xavierville Ave.
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
2008
(Nov) Tutok
Bantayog : Anong K mo, Blanc Compound ,Shaw Blvd Mandaluyong City(Nov 22) “TULAY” Filipino and Fil-Am Art Exhibit, I-Hotel
Manilatown Center, San Francisco
(Nov) Boxed:
Eros, The Cubicle Art Gallery, Pasig City
(August 21) “Ä story
from home; Myth, folklore, and legend of Philippines” Fourth Gallery, Singapore
(May 28) "Perpetual
Playground of your Lustful Minds" 2
man show, Bluewings Art Space Rafa’s deli & café, Unit C10 Xavierville Ave.
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
(January 23)
"Viva
Mansterville" Big Sky Mind, Quezon City
2007
(December) "Four
Equal Sides" Big and Small Art Gallery SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City
(November 7)
“Magnum
Asupre” Bluewings Art Space Rafa’s deli & café, Quezon City
(September
29) “Going
out, Coming in” 2 man show White Box
Studio, Cubao-X, Cubao Quezon City
(June 21)
“RETURNOSTALGIA” Big and Small Art
gallery SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City
(May 15) “Nonsense” White Box
Studio, Cubao-X Marikina Shoe Expo, Araneta Center, Cuba
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