Riddles of Time

The Riddles of Time

The concept of existence in the eyes of a Millennial painter

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
March 2, 2015

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What is it that flies or crawls, but sometimes can stand still? We mark it and celebrate it. Yet, we abuse it and when lost, it can never be found again. Albert Einstein once called it an illusion.

For young contemporary artist Edwin Martinez, time is among the greatest subjects for painting and discussion. “Why would I think of another subject that people would love to see if the concept of time is already here, in our face? I only paint what I feel, what I see,” he says.

Images by Pinggot Zulueta

Edwin likens himself to a timekeeper. He loves the concept of time so much that his past and present exhibits show it in metaphor, sometimes painted as phases of the moon, or a clock ticking by, or an hourglass half empty.

In his latest solo exhibit called “Forethoughts and Afterthoughts,” on view at Art Underground in Mandaluyong City, Edwin recognizes the fleeting nature of time and life and tries to capture it in black and white.

“My exhibit is about my thoughts on existence. I am, for lack of a better term, scared of the future. That’s why I mounted this exhibit so that I could show that time is running out. I need to step up and do something. Hindi pwedeng naka-upo lang ako. (I cannot just sit all day.),” he says.

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE Right: Millennial artist Edwin Martinez and his recently concluded exhibit, ‘Forethoughts and Afterthoughts.’ Above: Fine Time shows the importance of timekeeping.

Shown in his collection are surrealist paintings of his nephew beside an hourglass. He says his process starts from taking pictures of his nephew and then painting them on the canvas. The background depends on his mood, he says, “Wala lang. Whatever I feel like painting to complement the emotion.” One of the background paintings is Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. It suits the mood of his nephew Raymond, who’s pensively looking at the hourglass. In the Shades Series, he painted Raymond and himself (he asked his friend to take his picture). They were covering their faces or their eyes were closed. Peppered throughout the canvas are tiles with shades of gray, like phases of the moon, representing the periods and processes of life.

Since graduating from college, Edwin has been a fulltime artist. He maximizes his day and time by painting as much as he can, every day. But like any Millennial (he’s 28 years old), he prefers a YOLO lifestyle: going on dates or working at a music studio in between his painting sessions.

“Gusto ko chill lang pero may ibubuga (I want to be just chill but with something to offer),” he says while waving his hands, showing a tattoo of a crescent moon and a key. “Though it sounds cliché, the key pointing toward my right hand, which I use in painting, is the key to my successes,” he says, laughing. The crescent moon, meanwhile, as you’ve guessed, describes time: nighttime and daytime.

Among his works in the exhibit, Edwin’s favorite is The Reminder, which, like his tattoo, is a reminder to savor time. The painting of the hourglass is lying horizontally. “I want to make time stand still. If only we can be forever young,” he says.

But that’s impossible. Edwin knows that. This is reminiscent of Mitch Albom’s The Time Keeper that says: “Man wants to own his existence, but no one owns time.”