Chino Yulo continues his meditative exploration of horizon and sea in his 11th solo exhibition, “Tan-aw,” now on view at the Metro Gallery
Artist Chino Yulo PHOTOS BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE
The show features 10 new works on aluminum, copper, and—making its debut in his practice — brass. Together, they capture the shifting moods of seascapes and the quiet poetry of distant horizons.
First introduced in 2021, the Tan-aw series draws from Yulo’s deep connection to his hometown in Negros Occidental, an island whose coasts and waters have long shaped his visual memory. This latest chapter comes at a poignant time, as the artist prepares to return to the province, allowing the landscapes of his youth to once again become his everyday view.
With Yulo family — mother Chiqui Hollmann, father Prand Yulo and wife Alexandra Craig
Yulo’s process is patient and precise. He cuts metal sheets by hand, then etches each surface with sandpaper, working at varying angles to reveal delicate lines and textures that evoke light, depth, and movement. Under shifting illumination, the waves appear to change rhythm, so that from different vantage points, each work seems almost alive.
The series also echoes Western printmaking traditions, where masters like Rembrandt and Goya used copper etching to capture light and atmosphere. But Yulo’s approach is distinctly contemporary: he forgoes ink and paper, allowing the raw metals themselves to serve as both surface and subject. Aluminum suggests the cool silver of dawn, copper the warmth of sunset, and brass a golden, timeless glow.
By presenting the horizon across separate metal surfaces, Tan-aw distills the seascape into moments of changing light and mood. It is at once a personal homecoming, an immersive visual experience, and a continuation of an art-historical dialogue — rooted in the rhythm of the islands that remain at the heart of Yulo’s work.
“Tan-aw” runs until August 27 at Metro Gallery, San Juan City.
