Dalmacio, Don Djerassi

Don Djerassi Dalmacio is a visual artist who expresses himself in painting, installations and
other media. Born and raised in Manila, Dalmacio is inspired and influenced by the texture,
chaos, decay, noise and glitches of the city's urban landscape. He deconstructs and distorts
particular images to give it a different twist. Such manipulations afford viewers the freedom
to interpret and give meaning to what they see. Through wit and humor, he incorporates
text and context, be it within the work itself, in the titles or in combination, to further engage
his audience.
Traversing the middle ground between abstraction and realism, Dalmacio involves
everyone to ingest his creations in a personal yet unobtrusive manner. Rooted from
observation, cultural references and social commentary, his works have the capacity to
make a poignant demarcation while tempting to go beyond comfort zones of interpretation.
This is derived from the artist’s belief that imposing one singular perception is restrictive.
Born in 1979, Don Djerassi Dalmacio graduated Fine Arts Major in Advertising at the Far
Eastern University (2003). Since 1999, he has been a part of several exhibitions and
competitions both in the Philippines and abroad. He had held 15 solo shows since 2008. He
was awarded as Juror’s Choice (one of the Top Five) in the Philip Morris Art Awards in
2003, representing the Philippines in the 2004 ASEAN Art Awards in Bangkok, Thailand.
And in 2009, he was one of the recipients of the Cultural Center of the Philippines Thirteen
Artists Award.
Dalmacio has also worked with several artists, collectives Tutok Artcore, 98B Collaboratory)
and art groups in various capacities as coordinator, organizer and exhibition designer.