A mother’s love, a daughter’s budding talent

A mother’s love, a daughter’s budding talent

By Dyan Ruiz

TORONTO–While most Filipino parents find it difficult to encourage their child’s dreams of being an artist, Lizette Viloria found it in her heart to not only support her daughter, she showcased Alyssa Viloria’s budding talents by curating her first solo exhibit.

On June 23 and 24, the Vilorias held “7 years in NYC” in Leslieville at the studio event space at the Polyhaus on Carlaw Ave. in Toronto. The event showcased drawings, small sculptures and paintings throughout Alyssa’s childhood and teenage years, including works created as part of a pre-college scholarship at the prestigious Cooper Union in Manhattan and her work in university at Pratt-MWP near Syracuse, NY.

When asked about her daughter’s show, Viloria said she was “really excited, but at the same time as a parent I’m also worried about her future because I come from a traditional family where art is not an option.”

“It’s also driven by the Asian parent worrying about the future of their kids. I thought that if she really wants to do something in art then we should just support her. Drop everything that we were hoping for her to become and just support her. Part of that support is trying to get her exposed to the public.”

Eighteen-year-old Alyssa is still in the exploratory stages of her artistic development. When asked about where she sees art taking her, she said, “I sort of have a direction, but since it’s art, it’s arbitrary so I won’t exactly know what I want to do until I explored a lot of other things.”

From left: Lizette Viloria (Mom), Anthea Viloria (younger sister and artist also featured in the show), Alyssa Viloria (featured artist), Leo (Dad).

Spoken like a true artist, Viloria gave aloof and reluctant answers in describing her works. She said if she had to describe a theme of the show, it would be “abstract, structural and eye-catching.” Alyssa says her work is influenced by architecture because both her parents are architects. They’ve exposed her to many forms of art over the years at museums, galleries and shows, including “La Biennale di Venezia” in Venice, Italy, where they visited after she finished high school.

The Vilorias moved from Ajax, Ontario to Manhattan seven years ago when Lizette was transferred to the New York City office of the renowned interior design firm, Yabu Pushelberg.

Alyssa is an expressionist and those who know her could read her works as documenting her feelings leaving a small town “to going to a place that’s bigger than life,” Lizettte said.

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Her favorite piece, which features a hanging, ragged net, can be read as an expression of Alyssa’s emotional transition. She said there is a “chaotic pureness to the piece” because it is made of a single natural material, showing a yearning to go back to nature. To Lizette, walking around and inside the work evokes peacefulness; it is a haven from the stress of Alyssa being thrown into the world. The netting surrounded a red sculpture of rounded organic forms reminiscent of an odalisque and clearly influenced by the sculptor Henry Moore.

A childhood friend of Alyssa, 16-year-old Ria So, said she didn’t know that Alyssa “mal-adjusted to New York” until she saw her artwork that day. Her favorite piece is the twisted metal centerpiece that hung above a collection of small sculptures laid out on sand. So said the rusted metal signified to her that Alyssa “had been through so much, all the wear and tear she had to go through to adjust.”

The opening on June 23 became a reunion between the Viloria family and their friends and family in the GTA and was attended by approximately 40 people throughout the afternoon and evening.

The show also featured drawings by Anthea Viloria, who unlike her older sister, Alyssa, plans to take after her parents and pursue architecture.