Doktor Karayom:
No One’s At Home (Walang Tao Sa Bahay)

No One’s At Home (Walang Tao Sa Bahay)

August 14 to November 28, 2024

Onsite Gallery has invited international Ateneo Art Award recipient Filipino artist Doktor Karayom (aka Russel Trinidad) to takeover and occupy a section of the main gallery to develop an in-situ mural and installation during his artist residency at OCAD University. The newly commissioned exhibition will be developed over the residency period between July 24 to August 14, 2024, during which time the gallery will become activated as Doktor’s headquarters and studio space. Through lively and imagined personas, Doktor addresses the dynamic energies within a home that require maintenance, embodying aspects of tradition, prosperity, responsibility, pandemonium, and balance. The exhibition is an invitation to visit an imagined space where one encounters a universal familiarity of spirit and relations.

The Ateneo Art Awards (AAA), established in 2004 by the Ateneo Art Gallery at Ateneo De Manila University in the Philippines, is a prestigious award in contemporary art. It aims to nurture and promote Philippine contemporary art by focusing on artists aged 36 and under, providing them with a platform to showcase their innovative work. The award enriches the cultural landscape of the Philippines and offers winners opportunities for both local and international art residencies. Partnering with OCAD University, which will offer its first Toronto residency in 2024, signifies the global recognition and reach of the Ateneo Art Awards, allowing winners to engage with the international art scene and fostering cross-cultural exchanges. Through this, the AAA not only recognizes emerging artists but also offers them growth, collaboration, and international exposure.

About the Artist

Russel Trinidad, publicly known by his street name moniker Doktor Karayom, is a full-time artist (with a number of national awards under his belt) known for his multidisciplinary work distinctly fusing the color red and distorted human anatomy across genres such as graffiti, graphic design and sculpture installation. He doesn’t restrict himself to using a single medium when creating his pieces, utilizing whatever’s available. Whether it be working with acrylic paint, clay, resin, or plaster for sculpture making, he begins with sketching down ideas on his sketchbook, using his trusty red ballpen. The exhibition will build on his reputable career and distinct style.

For his inspirations, Doktor Karayom absorbs the world around him, transforming reality into concepts he can use for his projects. His fascination on horror and gore, combined with a tongue-in-cheek playfulness, suggests a unique avant-garde approach to expressing social commentaries and addressing realities at play as a distraction to the political zeal in his home country. His approach and versatile practice are topical to many practices found in Toronto’s local art sector.

Learn more about Doktor Karayom on his Instagram

Free Public Events

In Conversation: Doktor Karayom with Ana Serrano + Exhibition Opening Reception - Wednesday, August 14 - 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Onsite Gallery, 199 Richmond Street West

Join us for the dynamic conversation between Philippines Ateneo Award recipient artist, Doktor Karayom and OCAD U President + Vice Chancellor Ana Serrano!

Register here

Onsite Gallery is generously supported by The Delaney Family.