Mary Joy Manuel
This ten-piece body of work, created on fine art paper (21 x 14.5 cm), explores the emotional and societal tensions that shape our collective experience. Using acrylics, graphite, and charcoal pencils, each painting captures dynamic movement through vibrant palettes—juxtaposing warm and cool tones to evoke contrast and conflict. Black graphite and charcoal lines cut through the compositions like fractures, symbolizing resistance, boundaries, and the desire to break free from imposed limitations. The negative space, softly blended with graphite, adds depth and quiet intensity, while ghost markings—my signature underpainting technique—linger beneath the surface, hinting at unseen histories and layered emotions. These subtle traces speak to the persistence of memory and identity, even when obscured.
What makes this series particularly special is how unexpectedly it emerged. I wasn’t planning a new body of work. I was simply relaxing, watching the news, and absorbing the rising societal tension in the United States. As someone with a bachelor’s degree in political science, these moments of unrest are more than headlines—they’re living case studies, rich with complexity and emotion. Translating that tension into visual language felt instinctive, almost like a calling.
Each piece is a reflection of that moment: spontaneous, raw, and deeply personal. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t always come from planning—it often arrives when we’re still enough to feel.









