Mirage

Etched with white pebbles on sandpaper, this work exemplifies Alvin Zafra’s exemplary draftsmanship and mastery of chiaroscuro, or the play of light and shadow. Part of a series of images documenting Manila’s streets in the wee hours of the morning, Mirage, (2023) features an empty petrol station devoid of customers, save for a few parked cars. Using the opaqueness of the sandpaper to embody night, Zafra's image emerges only where he has chosen to mark the surface with stone. The form of objects is implied by what catches light, while everything else dissolves into the untouched black grit.   

The artist was also drawn to the lighted sign, Kalayaan (freedom), on the station’s roof that signified its street location but also seemed to offer an ironic commentary on the experience of those living through the strict lockdowns during the pandemic.