SOLO(S) PROJECT HOUSE 2016
“Metaphrase” is a series that includes large scale wall renderings (indoor and outdoor) and mixed media paintings. The work explores the artist’s current course, a personal constructed script, calligraphy; the “Metaphrase”.
The genesis of the series is personal. The artist was diagnosed with a learning disability as a young child, causing difficulty in speech, comprehension, translation and writing. The non sequitur has become increasingly fascinating for the artist in regards to language, writing, idiomatic phrases and identity through language.
Each letter is a system that has been influenced by Gothic Blackletter and ciphers with hints of Arabic and Hebrew calligraphy. Oquendo’s script communicates idioms translated into English, poetry, and personal messages which are rarely immediately decipherable. Completion finds the balance between obfuscate text and the beauty of calligraphy.
