Jaime Pacena II

The work is in good condition overall, as is the canvas. There is minor wear and handling to the edges, but the paint layers are well-preserved and stable. Under ultraviolet light inspection there is no evidence of restoration. Unframed, on stretcher.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Jaime Pacena II paints an epiphany in The Moment You Remembered, How It Was and What It Is Now. A combination of acrylic, pastel, and digital archival ink on canvas, the mixed media work was the centerpiece of a solo exhibition titled Hom(e/age). Mounted at the blanc compound in Manila, Philippines, the show explored the vicissitudes of time and memory.

Pacena, an independent curator, was granted a three-month residency in Japan by Japan Foundation and the University of the Philippines Vargas Museum under the Jenesys Programme for Creators 2010. It was a period of blossoming for the artist, who took the opportunity to reflect on his career and his future.

A year after, Pacena co-curated Kulo, a controversial exhibition that landed on the front page of Philippine newspapers. The story was picked up by the foreign press, meriting space in esteemed publications such as the New York Times. The group show thrust Philippine contemporary art into the limelight and ignited a conversation that made it all the way to the Senate. For a few heady days, it was the talk of town and the President of the Philippines himself saw it fit to comment. Amid this firestorm of debate, Pacena held his ground.

It was also around this time that Pacena represented the Philippines in the Asahi Art Festival Worldwide Network Travel Study Tour, where symposia on the "power of culture" and the "potential of new global networks" were held. Following this stint, he was asked to co-curate an exhibition of Japanese art at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Australia.

He wears many hats, Pacena does. He is curator, artist, and mentor. Unlike his other projects, which advocate worthy causes such as human rights and education, The Moment You Remembered, How It Was and What It Is Now is a personal reverie—a quiet pause.

A single woman, universal in her nakedness, stands in the middle of a dead-end street. Photographed on location, she is surrounded on three sides by the encroaching wilderness. The organic background and billowing clouds contrast with the synthetic geometric designs later added by Pacena, who also sheathed the composite in a drizzle of white paint.

These disparate elements come together like pieces in a puzzle to form a single picture. It is, according to the artist, akin to the feeling of sudden realization: the firing of synapses as the curtain of the mind is pulled back. It is an illuminated moment of clarity, when everything crystallizes and is understood.

-ll