Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?
SOLO EXHIBITION BY:
Jellyfish Kisses
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So Tell Me Now and I Won’t Ask Again. Jellyfish Kisses’ Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow bears echoes of an unforgettable pop ballad with decades of history way before the artist’s time, yet stands on its own with pieces that resonate with the uncertainty of beginnings and endings. Cleverly composed paintings, soft sculptures in black and white checks and a baby blue installation helps the artist evoke feelings of intimacy as highly personal stories are woven into the narrative, expressing the thrilling yet tiring roller coaster ride of emotions one goes through in the throes of a probable romance, and a full life beyond it. Introduced into the gallery space is a dainty baby blue tent installation, a safety bubble cordoning off personal space. With light-as-air colors, we are reminded of a sky softly filled with wispy clouds or a baby’s nursery, signifying fresh beginnings. The repetition of often mismatched eyes in the paintings mirror the pensiveness of one’s soul, sparkling and shining through tears that both cleanse and burn.
A proliferation of hearts fills the exhibition in various sizes and colors, some taking the form of shaped canvases, others painted and drawn, possessing character with every dark jiggly line. Some even come in pairs, in dualities of smiles and frowns. Scenes from a lively road trip with friends, a possible connection over smokes and coffee and the coziness of a darkened bedroom fill Jellyfish Kisses’ works, heartfelt confessions of encounters relished and learned from.
Much like in the safe spaces that the artist espouses in all her works, viewers are invited to witness a healing dreamlike tale unfolding, with power that comes with the telling. Though some images are bold and bright like happy thoughts, others are dark, muted and blurry, like memories we would rather forget. Perhaps we will never find out how, as the artist says, blissful new beginnings lead to two cold hearts barely talking, but asking one’s self is enough: will you love yourself tomorrow, and through all the good and bad days coming after? This is a song we should all sing to ourselves all the time, affirming self-love, worth and respect. After all, we can only give what we have, and we are the love that we give.
-Kaye Oyek
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Anton Belardo a.k.a. Jellyfish Kisses graduated with a BFA Major in Advertising Arts from the Philippine Women’s University School of Fine Arts and Design. After university, she pursued further training in fashion, enrolling in basic pattern making and sewing classes in Golden Hands School of Fashion Design and Arts, and was eventually cited as one of the finalists in the MEGA Young Designer 2011 competition. A prolific visual artist, Belardo’s distinct style is seen across varied modes of production: mixed media painting, illustration, site-specific art installations, creating handmade fashion accessories, fashion design and fashion styling as seen in her work for graphic tees, magazine features and runway shows. She has participated in numerous group exhibitions while also holding solo exhibitions. Belardo’s installations were part of the must-see exhibitions at ALT Philippines 2020 and Art Fair Philippines 2020, with media features in abs-cbn. com, spot.ph. scoutmag.ph, gmanetwork.com, coconuts.co, metro.style, preen.ph, Rappler and Yahoo News Philippines for her interactive safe spaces.
