Distorted Realism- A Solo Exhibit by Leodito Bongo III

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 Leodito Rosales Bongo III first solo exhibition, "Distorted Realism," refers to the artist's use of real-world distorted elements while maintaining a sense of realism. “Reflecting Memories Through Realism: Exploring the Fusion of Traditional Oil Painting Techniques with Contemporary Artistic Expression Using Distorted Images of Personal Memento Artifacts and Photographs." Memories are not fully specific, they are fragmented and altered by emotion, so the artist in this exhibition creates a visual representation of a memory through distorted reflections. The spectators will see the perspective of the artist and also feel the emotion and story of those personal memories.

The artist has been practicing realism for years, and as a realist artist in a contemporary world, he was challenged to expand his artistic practice by using his knowledge of traditional painting and fusing it with a contemporary expression. In this exhibition, the paintings represent the artist's memories of his loved ones, experiences, and journey through painting. 


The Core Concept: Visualizing Memory

The foundational idea behind Distorted Realism is the replication of human memory. Bongo states that personal memories are rarely perfectly preserved photograph-style; instead, they are fragmented, hazy, and inherently warped by time, shifting perspectives, and emotional bias. 
To capture this phenomenon on canvas, Bongo selects personal mementos, historical artifacts, and old photographs as his core subjects. He then renders them using an intentional blend of two conflicting styles: 
  1. Classical Realism: Highly meticulous, technically precise depictions of the real-world object.
  2. Contemporary Distortion: Warped reflections, fragmented details, or liquid-like visual anomalies layered over the realistic image. 
Through this juxtaposition, spectators do not just look at a still life; they look through the literal lens of a fading or emotionally charged memory. 

Technical Execution and Medium Evolution

Achieving this look requires extreme patience and a complex understanding of layers. Bongo adapted his execution from his roots as a hyper-realist colored pencil artist: 

  • The Fusion of Mediums: In his colored pencil era, Bongo relied heavily on the burnishing method—a painstaking technique of layering and pressing wax-based pigments to eliminate paper grain and achieve a smooth, photographic gloss. 
  • Translating to Oil Painting: For his Distorted Realism oil collections, Bongo translates this exact logic onto canvas. He builds up smooth, fluid layers of oil pigments over long periods. This allows him to paint highly precise objects, while seamlessly blending them into "melting" or warped

Guests of honor: Dr. Vicente Avanzado, Dr. Michael Cotia, Dr. Michelle Cotia, Armida Caguitla, TJ Villamor, Dr. Michael Justin Osmeña, Celso Pepito





Memories of Leo, 30"x 40", Oil in canvas, 2025



The Way It Used To Be, 36"x 48", Oil on Canvas, 2024




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