Radiance in Darkness

Various delicately painted blooms unfurl against Kim Tugade’s richly darkened canvases. The pink petals of an orchid speckled with deep fushia, the flushed petals of a peony caught slowly unfurling its petals, and the indigo petals of an iris revealing startling bursts of yellow. The dramatic interplay of light and shadow creates the allure characteristic of Tugade’s works.

“Radiance in Darkness” is a collection of Kim Tugade’s photorealistic renderings of intimate angles of flowers. This exhibition is the artist’s exploration of light and dark, and its relationship with nature. Tugade deliberately contrasts her botanical illustrations against darkened backdrops to elicit the idea of light illuminating the dark. Using lighting and contrasted tonal values, she reveals radiant, almost glowing, blooms — nature’s beautiful gifts.

Tugade states that, like the light, she too reveals what is beautifully created by the natural world. Through her craft, she becomes nature’s instrument in interpreting and presenting the elements of the environment. The artist furthers this by signing her works discreetly — her identity coming second to the beauty of her painted subjects. In this way, Tugade expresses her place in the grand scheme of the natural world. Through her work, she says, “I am but a small part of nature.”

Kim Tugade magnifies not only the scale of flowers but also the profound beauty of the environment. As nature’s willing instrument, she draws interest and intrigue with the use of light, brilliantly illuminating her floral subjects. “Radiance in Darkness,” invites viewers to likewise reflect on their place as individuals living in the natural world. As one views this collection, they are encouraged to find their place among flowers and other living things in peaceful coexistence.

“Radiance in Darkness” by Kim Tugade runs from June 25 to July 6, 2024, at Galerie Raphael U.P. Town Center. The gallery is located at the 2/F Phase 2, U.P. Town Center, Katipunan Ave., Diliman, Quezon City. For inquiries, contact Galerie Raphael U.P. Town Center at +632 8247 1109 or email galerie.raphael@gmail.com.