Exhibition by Ateneo Art Award winner opens at OCAD U

OCAD University’s Onsite Gallery is hosting the exhibition No One’s At Home (Walang Tao Sa Bahay) by international Ateneo Art Award recipient, Filipino artist Doktor Karayom (aka Russel Trinidad) during his artist residency.

The exhibit opened on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 with a reception and artist talk between Doktor Karayom and OCAD U President Ana Serrano. The exhibit will be on view until November 30, 2024.

OCAD U's Onsite Gallery commissioned this new work for development over the residency period between July 24 to August 14, 2024, during which time the gallery was activated as Doktor’s headquarters and studio space. Through lively and imagined personas, Doktor Karayom 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.

Onsite Gallery is also hosting the group exhibition _other tongues part I communication which features Filipino artists Natalie Majaba Waldburger, Julius Poncelet Manapul and Ursula Handleigh.

ABOUT THE ATENEO ART AWARDS

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 is its first Toronto residency, 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 ARTIST DOKTOR KARAYOM

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 ball pen. 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.

ABOUT OCAD UNIVERSITY

OCAD University, Canada's largest and oldest art and design university, is a vibrant community of bold, curious and compassionate artists, designers and scholars who are imagining and creating a joyful, equitable and sustainable world. We're a world-famous hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity. Our students benefit from hands-on studio learning and have access to state-of-the-art shops and studios. Alongside a diverse and supportive team of instructors and peers, our students gain employable skills. Our graduates work in different sectors such as urban planning, environmental design, gaming, film, animation, publishing, illustration, graphic design, visual arts and arts administration.

OCAD University’s Onsite Gallery is generously supported by The Delaney Family.