The artwork explores the tension between concealment and exposure. A single cut breaks through the textured canvas, hinting at what lies beneath. Through this gesture, Balquin transforms the surface into a quiet confrontation with hidden depths and disrupted stillness.
About the Artist:
Maria Janea “Jan” Balquin is a Filipino contemporary artist known for turning paintings into sculptural installations. Born in 1989, she breaks apart and rebuilds canvases, transforming them into objects that explore silence, tranquility, and the tension between originals and copies. Her work has been exhibited in the Philippines and Singapore, often described as a bird in love with its cage—beautiful, restless, and impossible to contain.