Carlo Ongchangco
Carlo Ongchangco’s art is whimsical but not frivolous. His works borrow from the visual language of children’s book illustration, graphic design, cartoon and Japanese pop art. He uses subdued colours that create a wistful, nostalgic mood for the caricature subjects that populate his works. His characters are almost always children with rounded faces, with eyes that are uneven – one is often inconspicuously small while the other is grotesquely big. The emphasis made with the big eye hint at a mystery, and a discovery waiting to be made. These subjects are often engaged in an introspective journey, whether they are on the road in some sort of quest, or with one or both eyes shut, in a state of dreaming. His works often rely on the fantasy created by an imaginary scene that lends humour and lightness to his works, but at the same time, like fairy tales and other stories from our collective past, have ontological depth and engage the viewer in a narrative wanting to be unravelled, a memory on the verge of being remembered or an insight silently springing. With titles like “Blessings Come to Those Who Give” and “Come Rest in Me” Carlo’s seemingly simple works are coloured by his faith and draw observers to thought and reflection. Carlo’s art straddles High and Low art, with the same ease as it recognizes the sacred in the most unassuming circumstances.