A display of color and tradition grace the walls of Gallery 2600.

Baguio artist Nicolas Carbonell returns with an exhibit dubbed, “The Secret Life of Colours,’ a collection of close to 40 big and small works.

“These are from our imagination and the colors of life, imbued with a profound exploration of life’s fragility, beauty and hidden intricacies,” Carbonell said as he opened the month-long exhibition at the Baguio Convention Center and Cultural Center.

Carbonell said the collection has work from 2021 and has been included in the exhibition which he shares the stage with another homegrown artist, Kenan Parrocha.

Both Carbonell and Parrocha are Baguio Boys who dabbled into art in their childhood and grew become professional artists.

Parrocha, an architect, draws inspiration from both his profession and his artistic calling, his work depicts the vibrant colors of the Ibaloy weave said his inspiration comes from everyday scenes and nature, taking his pallet choices from the vibrant environment in the Cordillera.

‘’There is something about emotions being pent up and art is able to bring these out,” Parrocha said as he navigates between visual expression and spatial design.

Parrocha has likewise joined national competitions reaching the semifinals of the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence and the Vision Petron Painting Competition.

In 2020 Carbonell staged his first one-man exhibit at the Diplomat Hotel, “Madness,” with pieces made in the time of the pandemic.

Both artists graduated form the University of the Cordilleras where each served under the school paper, The Alternative, as graphic artists, attributing their inclination for the arts.

The exhibit runs until August 11, 2024. Maria Elena Catajan