(L) Filipino artist Yeo Kaa, (R) “Dry and Confused 2” (Yeo Kaa, 2018), acrylic on canvas, 152 × 122 cm (Photos by Hannes Wiedemann/Arndt Art Agency)

Filipino visual artist Yeo Kaa opened her first European solo exhibition, “Anxious Lustless Pechay” with a reception organized by the Arndt Art Agency (A3) and the Philippine Embassy in Berlin on September 14, 2018.  Created as part of A3´s summer residency, the exhibit is also included in the Charlottenwalk program, wherein dozens of galleries in Berlin´s Charlottenburg district are opening their doors to the public.

The show continues Yeo Kaa´s explorations of the “monsters that torment the human psyche and plays on disruptions to bodily craving for pleasure.”  The works delve on the effects of stress and anxiety on the female sexual drive through metaphors and references to the body.

Charge d´Affaires Lillibeth V. Pono, in her remarks, commended the artist for bravely tackling issues on mental health, anxiety and sexuality through art,  “Yeo Kaa is one of those who, through her art, bring to our consciousness, the sensitive things we are uncomfortable talking about in public.  She has used her art to shed light on these realities as she explores the relationship between the human psyche and female sexuality.”

Charge d´Affaires Lillibeth V. Pono (leftmost) with (L-R) featured artist Yeo Kaa, Arndt Art Agency (A3) Founder Matthias Arndt and A3 Director Rachael Vance. (Photo by Hannes Wiedemann/Arndt Art Agency)

With over 100 guests in attendance, the event had successfully drawn the attention of the Filipino and expatriate communities, as well as local art enthusiasts. Yeo Kaa’s exhibit organized by A3 in Berlin, sustains the growing recognition for Filipino artists in Germany.

Guests from international communities, as well as local art enthusiasts. (Photos by Hannes Wiedemann/Arndt Art Agency)

Yeo Kaa is a young Filipino artist whose themes and subjects in her work contrast sharply from the pop vibe evoked by her imagery. A graduate of Advertising from the College of the Holy Spirit in Manila, she has exhibited widely in the Philippines and has participated in international residencies, in Jogjakarta, Indonesia, and Haukijarvi, Finland. She is particularly interested in dark themes such as depression, suicide, and anxiety, among others, both drawn from personal experiences as well as general observations of human tendencies.

“Anxious Lustless Pechay”, curated by Ruel Caasi in collaboration with The Working Animals Art Projects, is open to the public at Arndt Art Agency (Fasanenstraße 28, 10719 Berlin) until October 5, 2018. For more information, visit www.arndtartagency.com.  END