Arel Zambarrano: Layers of STILL-ness and Strength

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By Ted Aldwin Ong

You’ve probably heard Arel Distor Zambarrano casually say, “steady pulso lang kita ah,” in his laid-back Banatenhon tone when artist friends ask how he’s been doing — an everyday Hiligaynon expression that simply means things are fine, steady, and unchanged.

This defining temperament of composure and steadiness amid life’s pressures finds full expression in his eighth solo exhibition, “STILL,” which opened on Feb. 14, 2026, at the upper gallery of Art Cube Philippines.

The exhibition features two distinct bodies of work: “Optimism Underpinned,” a 30-piece series, and the monumental “Still,” a 15-panel polyptych.

The exhibition stems from a significant series of group and solo shows that have shaped his trajectory since 2020: “Flexible Nerves” (fourth solo) at Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art, January 2020; “Artificial Fear” (fifth) at Pinto Art Museum, June 2021; “Arisgado” (sixth) at Art Cube Philippines, March 2023; and “Engkwentro” (seventh) at Ang Panublion Museum, Roxas City, October 2023.

Each builds on the last, deepening Zambarrano’s exploration of material, medium, subject and meaning. In STILL, his work conveys affirmation, a quiet insistence on remaining, marking a sustained presence without pageantry for which he has become known, and grounding the piece in a steady awareness of self.

The collection carries a simple message, says Zambarrano. “It declares that I am still here, that this is still me,” and that the artist is STILL standing despite the storms and the calm that follows in life.

Presence in Stillness

Mounted like a rectangular puzzle, with each panel measuring 36 × 72 inches, “Still” spans 3 × 9.5 meters overall and is meticulously constructed with layered acrylic and oil on pre-cut, shredded canvas. The textured surfaces are shaped using pull-push blades or a measuring tape (polgadera) and secured with blind rivets, which accentuate the dragonfly figure within the composition.

Up close, each panel is rich with tactile detail, yet from a distance, the work dissolves into a 360-degree panorama of shifting hues, as the colors of the outer and inner layers interact in a dynamic visual interplay, evoking a kaleidoscope of dragonflies dancing across a marsh. This duality — intimate detail versus immersive exposition — invites viewers to engage with the work on multiple levels, both physically and perceptually.

The demanding polyptych format, long associated with master painters and central to Renaissance Italian altarpieces, finds renewed contemporary resonance in Zambarrano’s work, underscoring both his technical mastery and conceptual depth.

By bridging historical precedent with a uniquely personal vision, “Still” positions itself not only as a formally ambitious work of art, vibrantly alive in its presence, but also as an allegorical proposition, occupying a space suspended between duration and quietude, where time neither stops nor accelerates, but stretches and settles, inviting reflection: What remains? What continues? Who is still here? By holding both statement and inquiry, the work achieves a sustained conceptual significance within contemporary artistic discourse.

This idea extends into lived practice. STILL-ness can be understood as the artist’s method of navigating an evolving art landscape shaped by institutions, markets, curatorial frameworks, peer networks and generational shifts. To be still is not to withdraw, but to remain deliberate — to maintain one’s position thoughtfully amid change.

In this sense, the work engages with time not as a race toward a conclusion, but as a sustained, unfolding process. Zambarrano’s practice develops gradually, revisiting forms and materials while allowing subtle transformations to accumulate. Rather than striving for finality, it emphasizes ongoing growth, continuity and the persistence of creative inquiry. This approach is exemplified in his past solo exhibitions, which form a continuous narrative in which each new body of work builds upon the last.

Optimism and resilience

On the other hand, the 30-piece series “Optimism Underpinned” (16 × 24 inches each) functions as a visual diary in collage. Each panel serves as a glossary of daily life, where architectural lexicons intersect with routine objects, shaped by the emotional, mental, physical, material, or even spiritual states of the day.

Distributed across the series are the words win, energy, 100% pure, legal, warranty, easy, espresso and sugar-free; cutouts of letters and numbers; images of QR codes, barcodes, eyes, chairs, medicine packaging, magnets and distorted clocks — elements that capture the layered complexity of life as architect, artist, husband, father, brother, friend, colleague and community leader.

Emblematic of a calendared existence, the 30 works emerge like 30 days, each carrying its own mood. Some pieces feel light and open, marked by clarity or promise; others convey anxiety and uncertainty. Together, they form a continuous passage that reflects the oscillation between activity and repose.

While each canvas stands alone, none defines the whole. United, they become a meditation on patience, attentiveness and confidence, mirroring Zambarrano’s steady movement between professional and personal life — an existence best described by the expression “steady pulso.”

In this light, STILL by Arel Zambarrano reads less as a statement and more as a proposition: beneath stillness, something endures. It declares — still me, still us — inviting viewers to perceive motion and rest not as opposites, but as intertwined states in which life continues, even in silence. Subtly, STILL affirms presence, resilience and the gentle courage required to navigate life’s rhythms. (Photos are courtesy of the artist and Art Cube Philippines)