Kiko Escora on the Subtleties of the Body and Erotic Art

(SPOT.ph) "It’s mostly kalandian. But without saying it that way. Just being subtle about it. Kunwari sosyal. Because it’s quiet. But at the end of the day, it’s kalandian," Kiko Escora tells SPOT.ph in an interview. His latest collection of large-scale paintings titled Ek-Ek ng Talipandas is on display at the subtly lit roof-deck tent at The Link for Art Fair Philippines until February 19.

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Kiko Escora on Erotica

Escora doesn't make excuses for his take on erotic art, as he should. A red-and-orange canvas showing two tongues in ecstasy greets viewers as they open the door to his show as one of the featured artists for Art Fair Philippines. Nearby, there's a painting of a woman's torso, another with a naked butt covered with an arm, and another with two bodies interlocked. The almost monochromatic colors subdue the paintings' bold themes—or they attempt to, adding tension to their execution.

"At the end of the day, we’re all animals. It’s our basic instinct. For animals, it’s sex or mating. For human beings, I guess, it’s more subtle. It’s more civilized. It’s not just presenting sex as it is, there’s an art to it, a process. It’s a journey from here to there. And sometimes the journey is the whole purpose of it, not really the destination," he adds.

Escora is mostly attracted to the subtlety of things that come with seduction, saying that it's more captivating than the sex itself. For him, it is an art, and it is reflected in his canvases: a glimpse into the parts of the human body, a celebration of an individual's most erogenous zones.

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Finding Eroticism in Religion

While eroticism and erotic art are often considered taboo by conservatives, Escora actually started his curiosity about the human body through an all-too-familiar sculpture: the crucifix. His mother would bring him to church, where spends prayer time staring at the nails buried deep into the hands of the crucified Christ, wondering how the statue was made, and thinking about how he would make it itself. Little did he know that these innocent questions of a child would later lead him to an artistic path.

His understanding of the human condition, and—thus—his art, was also influenced by his faith. At the age of nine or 10, he became a Protestant as his dad was a pastor assigned in Sorsogon, Bicol. He also took up theology, "purely academic, not for priesthood."

"If you know the ins and outs of something, nothing is perfect. I still believe in Christ, I believe in science. At the end of the day, it’s all about faith. Even in science," he narrates.

Escora quit the four-year course in theology after two years, then moved out of his family's home. He later went to the College of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines Diliman, but barely completed a semester as he was also working already as a service staff.

The artist continued painting at home, and eventually worked for a design studio as a graphic designer. He became a full-time artist when a friend of his boss at the design studio wanted to exhibit his works.

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Working with Charcoal and Photographs

Escora's interest in the human body is also layered with his passion for photography. Regarded as one of the foremost chroniclers of the alternative scene in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, photographs, postcards, or even magazine cutouts make their way into his paintings where portraits are used as the basis.

"And when you transform it, the nuances happen, the accidents, the segues, the improvisations, then that’s yours already," he says.

His works for Ek-Ek ng Talipandas, in particular, are heavily based on photographic references. This is why his preparations for creating one piece usually take longer, "there’s a tendency to wait for the last minute." The process, he added, is almost like a trance. He would just go along with what his environment dictates and add elements as time progresses.

"It’s like a trance, there is something, somewhere there in the subconscious that if I touch it too much or manipulate it too much, it comes out overworked or pilit. So I have to maintain that distance. Mine it, not from afar, but from a certain distance inside me."

He also uses charcoal, a material he appreciates for its simplicity. "It’s just charcoal, that’s it." This medium provides more contrast in his works, especially because the opposing colors of black and white depict intensity.

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Ek-Ek as a Way of Life for Art Fair Philippines

When asked why his latest collection is partly titled ek-ek, which is synonymous to eklat or extra in slang, Escora says: "I don’t want it to be too conceptual, or too highfalutin. I want it to be accessible. I don’t want it to alienate people. I’m partial to beauty. It might be old-fashioned, but we all have our preferences."

For him, there is no "correct interpretation" of his works. One's experience of art, after all, is based on a number of factors—the viewer's mood while looking at the canvas, a person's history and background, and even an understanding of the world.

"As a viewer, you wonder what’s happening beyond the frame. I get to supply my own story. I find that more interesting, than looking at a much more straightforward piece," he adds about the seemingly incomplete bodies in his pieces.

With interview by Zea Asis

Art Fair Philippines 2023 is from February 17 to 19, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., at The Link, Parkway Drive, Ayala Center, Makati City. Tickets, which are available online, are P450. For more information, visit Art Fair Philippines' website.