Borrowing from a term used to define the complete full spectrum of colors, “Hues” presents new works by two artists who are masters, in perhaps, the most difficult medium of all: watercolor.

In this show, Romualdo Rommel Perez paints portraits of the urban life, mostly in the form of street vendors and ordinary people who vividly appear against the backdrop of monotony.  On the other hand, Dario Buan Encinas illustrates the simple yet difficult tasks that come with rural living, which is clear from images of farmers and fishermen as they work among rice fields and rivers.

Perez, who was formally trained in Fine Arts at the University of Santo Tomas, uses his dexterity in combining different hues and mixing colors that place emphasis on the subjects as they traverse through the streets of the metro, which is an odd and dangerous choice for a workplace. In “GO LAMAN”, a man peddles a cart filled with colorful refreshments in the middle of summer. Another work, “pangSAMPAguita”, tells the story of a mother and his son selling garlands in front of a church, hinted by the purple handkerchiefs carried by Catholic devotees.  The varying hues in these images make up for engaging the viewer to look beyond these radiant scenes: the display of resiliency in the lives of the ordinary people as they choose to survive in an unusual setting than to become consumed by resignation.

Meanwhile, Encinas captures the painstaking deed of working as a farmer and the incredible patience among fisherfolk. In “Palay Harvest”, a man sets himself in the midst of unforgivable heat to reap crops. Encinas’ palatial illustration of rivers and fishermen is a testament of the artist’s talent and ability in utilizing techniques that are used to bring life to an otherwise plain and flat image. As a self-taught painter, Encinas is familiar with how hard work can change the course of one’s direction and capacity to stand tall amid challenges. Though he lack the formalities of training in the arts, Encinas has now become an artist recognized for his adroit capabilities in watercolor painting.

The varying combinations of colors used in this show are similar with how the artists choose to portray the complete spectrum of the ordinary: defined by the hues and values signifying each important part of the common yet vital forms of life.