Bodies that Matter
Gelo Zarsuelo
Anima Art Space
October 12 - November 9, 2024
While gender norms may appear as inherent as the physicality of the body, they can be argued to be socially constructed, performed, and often ritualized through hegemonic structures (Butler). Bodies endure pain, experience pleasure, and face violence—not merely as biological phenomena but as lived experiences.
In his first solo exhibition, visual artist Gelo Zarsuelo explores the tension between the constructed and lived realities of queer male bodies. The body—its gestures, strengths, and vulnerabilities—shapes qualities of identity that are also constructed. While some expressions of identity may be marginalized or rendered invisible, queerness within both masculine and feminine contexts is often ritualized, reinforcing the notion that the queer body matters in significant ways. This suggests that gender cannot be easily taken on or off at will.
Within these performative limitations, there exists potential for agency and transformation. By embodying queerness individually and subtly challenging normative expectations, the body contests the stability of gender norms and opens avenues for resistance and evolution. Zarsuelo incorporates unconventional materials with acrylic paint and soft pastels to suggest bodies that transcend the corporeal, exploring how queer maleness might be resisted and reimagined. From representations of physicality and strength to moments of vulnerability and introspection, the subjects’ suggestive skin acts as a mirror, prompting viewers to reconsider their bodily boundaries and explore what lies beneath and beyond the surface.
Bodies that Matter contemplates the corporeal not as a fixed or inherent identity but as a dynamic process of becoming—a site of conformity and defiance, constraint and agency. It highlights that queer embodiment is not just about forming an identity or taking up space; it also means becoming a vessel for an essential matter. It raises the question: where norms seek to define and limit our possibilities, what does it mean to inhabit a body that truly matters in the world? (John Alexis Balaguer)
View Gallery
Gelo Zarsuelo is a queer painter based in Kalibo, Aklan, whose work delves into the politics of individual bodies, intimacy, and non-binary relationships. His paintings merge bold and muted acrylic paint to emphasize repressed emotions and tell stories of struggle through subtle postures and expressions. Zarsuelo has showcased his work in various locations including Pulse Gallery Phloenchit in Bangkok, Museo de Iloilo, Cinematheque Centre Iloilo, Art in the Park, Qube Gallery, and AltroMondo Creative Space, among others. He has also participated in art events and exhibitions across the Philippines, exhibiting at venues such as Crimson Resorts & Spa Boracay, Festive Mall Walk Iloilo, and Aklan Provincial Trade Hall. He has undergone an art residency at Pulse Gallery Phaya Thai in Bangkok, Thailand. He has curated exhibitions, including "A Red Rag to a Bull" at Cinematheque Centre Iloilo under the Iloilo Pride Team. He was featured in the first volume of the 'Iloilo Art Review' by the Iloilo Critics Circle, and was a fellow at the Upskilling Workshop on Performance and Visual Arts Curation by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (2024).
