RODEL TAPAYA (b. 1980)

Born in 1980, Filipino artist Rodel Tapaya is one of the most exciting young artists in Southeast Asia today. Tapaya's work reflects his observation of the contemporary world inspired by existing texts of folktale and pre-colonial historical research. Creation of the Bat (Lot 163) invites the viewer to enter in Tapaya's mystical universe. Highly sensitive to their surroundings, bats are considered as a symbol of intuition, dreaming and vision; as well as an auspicious animal in various Asian cultures. The magical flora and fauna compositions juxtaposed against a forested background narrate an enigmatic parallel world seen through the eyes of the artist.