AITF 002: Perspectives on the Surreal with Danny Sillada

August 6, 2021

After months of searching for the perfect artist to spotlight as we near the end of our Surrealism Collection, we are more than thrilled for our small community to stride and saunter into the mind of Danny Castillones Sillada, one of the country’s most renowned artists.

An artist of many mediums, Danny represents the surreal, the organic, and the existential aspect of our humanity, defiant to cultural and societal norms.

Meet Danny —

Danny Castillones Sillada posing with his sculptural installation

A master of applied mental planning, neo-ethnic artist Danny Castillones Sillada makes use of his eccentric and characteristically timeless frame of thinking to create his own style of abstract surrealism.

Delightfully featuring objectified representations of reality, Danny tackles controversial topics through his art as a medium for social justice and moral responsibility. In his exploration into the uncharted, he finds his niche to create and immerse in what others have yet to traverse, in the process displacing the subconscious from reality and disrupting norms from all faces of society.

Through visual art, philosophy, and poetry, Danny unapologetically turns his tragedy into what he refers to as transcendent beauty, creating a visual symphony of shapes and symbols— an orchestra of surrealism. An uncut gem amongst Philippine artists, Danny, who refers to himself as nothing extraordinary, has always thought that "this, too, will pass." We, however, see no near future in which the sublime beauty of his art, emanating from personal tragedy, fails to evoke a sense of both discomfort and wonder.

What is your creative process like? Do you plan on exploring new art styles?

D.C. SILLADA: I categorized my surreal works into two types: abstract surrealism and realistic surrealism. The former, although seemingly two-dimensional on canvas, is an ensemble of abstract and semi-abstract forms and colors laden with symbolism, while the latter, a representation of realistic symbolic elements employing a layering technique to simulate three-dimensional pictorial composition.

At the outset, my creative process is like a ritual that involves a judicious period of mental planning: from conception through the sketchpad layout, and finally, to the actual execution on canvas or other mediums. Before rendering any work on canvas, I already have a lucid picture in my mind: its complete forms and colors.

In abstract surrealism, for instance, where I have developed my own aesthetic style and technique with no actual references, after the cognitive preparation, I would make rough sketches on paper and then transfer them on canvas. This is where the actual process of mixing colors and shaping forms comes into play until they emerge into what I have envisioned in my mind. As for realistic surrealism, I digitally create studies on my computer using some references before I execute them on canvas.

Aside from painting, I also explore other mediums such as performance art, installation art, assemblage or sculptural installation, and digital art.

Danny Castillones Sillada’s Self-Portrait (drawing and painting)

You resigned from a promising executive position, quitting the corporate world to pursue a career as a full-time artist. What changed your mind? Why did you choose to shift your career path to a full-time artist?

D.C. SILLADA: In the corporate world, although I enjoyed the mental challenge in business analysis, decision-making, and handling subordinates, I felt bored and burned out, so I quit my job to b4ecome a full-time painter. Henceforth, living alone with no other source of income, I subsequently realized I was bold or obstinate enough to pursue my art.

For the first six months as a full-time artist, I struggled to live and create art. I tried various artistic styles such as impressionistic, figurative, and landscape painting, but I had a hard time selling my works. I never gave up, though. Instead, I reorganized my artistic goals and objectives, started attending art activities in Metro Manila, interacting with fellow artists and art collectors, and planning my own exhibits. From there, I began developing my own artistic style in abstract surrealism, capitalizing on my proclivity for vivid colors with biomorphic forms emanating from my cultural roots in the South. And the rest, as the cliché goes, is history.

Given that your work delightfully features objectified representations of reality, tackles controversial topics, and compositions that are, to say the least, beyond the ordinary or visually thought-provoking, have you faced any kind of resistance and criticism from people with regard to your work?

D.C. SILLADA: There are some critiques, but they aren't as vociferous as they may be. At that time, I was forthright with my thoughts and opinions; I wouldn't let any criticism go without engaging intellectual wrestle unless it was rational, in good faith, and supported by a strong argument. On the other hand, I generally listen to and accept criticism objectively. For instance, one art critic labeled my work as too self-indulgent with sexually charged symbolism. That’s true. But it’s only one aspect of my works, which is allusive to my sexual repression when I was still studying Catholic priesthood or still connected with the Church.

Danny Castillones Sillada’s three colorful phallus paintings

“When I created my art, I passionately embraced it without compromising my creative principles, and that’s how I was known for my distinctive style and identity as a surrealist.”

Some criticized my technical style as being florid or too flat on the canvas. Obviously, it refers to some of my abstract surreal paintings with intricate forms and colors. My art, in general, is not limited or confined to one stereotype because it explores variegated themes and topics like political, cultural, social, and philosophical. When I created my art, I passionately embraced it without compromising my creative principles, and that’s how I was known for my distinctive style and identity as a surrealist.

You started painting at the early age of 7. Having been one of the most prominent figures to pursue a career in this field at such an early age, what is the biggest barrier you have to overcome as an artist?

D.C. SILLADA: The biggest barrier I’ve encountered would be financial. To be a Filipino artist, you must have other sources of income, perhaps a day job or a business, unless you’ve already established your name and already selling big in the art market. There are ways how to support your family, but later on, once you’re able to establish yourself in the art world, this will relatively support your financial needs.

I started from scratch with no connections in the art world. It was tough since I didn't have a name for myself, but I persisted. Slowly, I gain support from art patrons, collectors, friends, and relatives who bought my works. Later, my art has been discussed in schools and universities, as well as reviewed and published in print and digital media. Some students either interviewed me regarding my work or wrote a research paper on it. In the end, the prestige of knowing I was making a difference through my work was more rewarding than the financial aspect.

“Being an artist is one of the noblest callings because art nourishes the soul, enhances and preserves arts and culture, and engages the human intellect in the quest of higher metaphysical ideals such as the Truth, the Good, and the Beautiful.”

Conversely, financial success in art is distinct from the aesthetic success that emanates from cultural and historical impact in society, notably on arts and culture. You could be a bestselling artist in the art market, but your art may not carry any aesthetic and cultural significance to the society. But if you have both of these, the financial success could be considered a bonus or a reward to your artistic feat.

Financial success in the arts is arbitrary, based on luck, clout, and strategic marketing. Whether an artist's work is sought after or not in the art market, it has no bearing on the aesthetic or cultural impact that he or she has had on society. The artist’s achievement is not measured by how much money he made from his creation but by the aesthetic, cultural, and historical impact he made on people and arts and culture.

Danny Castillones Sillada’s camouflaged phalluses

“The artist’s achievement is not measured by how much money he made from his creation but by the aesthetic, cultural, and historical impact he made on people and arts and culture.”

Arguably, creating art is not a business enterprise; selling it through art dealers, galleries, and auction houses is. In other words, the artist’s role is to create art as a social and cultural vocation, almost heroic, without jeopardizing or corrupting one's creativity and values with money. Being an artist is one of the noblest callings because art nourishes the soul, enhances and preserves arts and culture, and engages the human intellect in the quest of higher metaphysical ideals such as the Truth, the Good, and the Beautiful.

My advice for young aspiring artists would be: Don’t lose your passion. Find your own style and develop it. Establish your identity and don’t compromise. Learn to live with both your corporate life and career as an artist. Sadly, our Philippine society, after the Marcos regime, is not an artist-friendly society because we have no substantial art budgets, no subsidies, and no health care benefits for artists. Quitting your job and pursuing art is no longer practical today. As a Filipino, it won’t sustain your life if you rely on art as your source of income.

“My advice for young aspiring artists would be: Don’t lose your passion. Find your own style and develop it. Establish your identity and don’t compromise.”

You were described in a research paper submitted to the University of Asia and the Pacific as “the embodiment of a Filipino who defies the existing trend” and a “Renaissance Man” as most of your work features satire, graphic and gripping themes. Do you believe there is an importance in creating art that is nonconforming or unconventional?

D.C. SILLADA: As an artist, you have to tread the uncharted. To be creative, you must develop, invent, or reinterpret something that no one else has done or explored before.

To understand and expound the truth objectively, according to Emmanuel Kant, one must go beyond what is given, that is, beyond the conventional norms of culture, religion, or politics. As an artist with a background in philosophy, theology, business, and literature, I use critical thinking to subvert conventions and popular opinions, in contrast to being opinionated without rational or logical reasoning. In a similar manner, I create art that depicts and conveys existential reality, not just the good and beautiful but also the cruel and ugly.

In my personal experience, I’ve been through a lot in my life, like the respective tragic deaths of my siblings and parents, my heartaches, my marital separation, and the loss of the family business, among other things. “Sometimes I wish I had not woken up from a beautiful dream,” as I tenderly wrote on my Inusara journal, “because sometimes waking up is more frightening than a nightmare.”

Yet, when you look at my work, particularly my paintings, you couldn’t see any trace of rancor or sadness in them but pulsating forms and colors. Even if I wrote the brooding laments of my poem or a nihilistic view in my philosophical essay, you could still see the delicate beauty of humanity in them, the alluring comfort of being vulnerable, and the struggle to live and to hope amidst hopelessness and desolation.

Danny Castillones Sillada’s live art performance

“I used my darkness, my tragedy, to create transcendent beauty through the opulent forms, verses, and colors in my art.”

Subsequently, once you know the artist’s struggle, why he did what he does in his work, you’ll appreciate and understand the sublimity of his art, however unpleasant or repulsive it may be. And this is what philosophers Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant eloquently defined as the sublime and the transcendent beauty in art, the fundamental principle and the soul of aesthetics.

I used my darkness, my tragedy, to create transcendent beauty through the opulent forms, verses, and colors in my art.

You are one of the most renowned Surrealism artists in our country. What made you want to focus on this particular art style? What makes Surrealism so unique compared to other artistic genres based on your experience?

D.C. SILLADA: My philosophical and literary background lends itself better to surrealism than to other artistic genres, as I utilize symbolic concepts to express reality in a mordant and paradoxical manner. As I described in a previous interview by a college student for his research paper, “Surrealism is not just visual based on sensual perception; it primarily appeals to the cognitive perception. A viewer must think and reconcile the visual narrative of the surrealist: What is it all about and what do the symbolic elements signify in relation to one’s life or condition in the society?”

Unlike figurative, floral, or landscape painting, which literally signifies what it represents, surreal art stimulates the mind to think deeper in a more profound and meaningful way, as if inviting the audience to journey into the unknown by unveiling the truth behind its symbolic elements. Similar to a Jungian or Freudian psychoanalytic diagram in which the viewer or audience is free of any incorrect interpretation, surreal art is a dialogic encounter between the observer and the symbolic narrative of the composition. The process can be fun or mentally exhausting. However, the good thing in surreal art is that the subjective interpretation is more significant than what the artist intended to signify.

Leon’s main message is “Allow Léon to be your means for visualizing timeless works, and using those as inspiration in expressing yourself.” In what way is your work timeless?

D.C. SILLADA: Speaking of timelessness, I recall my response to a friend bishop, then Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Manila, who commissioned me to paint a 10 X 10 feet mural in the seminary when he asked how long it will take me to complete the project. I jokingly replied, “Monsignor, I'm not working for the sake of time, but of eternity.”

I never imagined that any of my works would be timeless, let alone time and history judge it. In the same way, as I never imagined that one day some of my works—art, poetry, essays, and even original song compositions—would be studied or discussed in schools and universities, anthologized in literary publications, included in textbooks, or quoted in books, articles, papers, and on the internet. It's humbling to wake up one day and realize that part of my creative output has made its way into academia, cultural and historical memory, and internet algorithms.

“What, perhaps, makes my work timeless is that I allow myself to live in my creation, in the same way as I allow my creation to live in me...”

What, perhaps, makes my work timeless is that I allow myself to live in my creation, in the same way as I allow my creation to live in me, thus creating my individual identity as an artist or poet or thinker, without compromising my moral and ethical values. I’m not a perfect human being: I have many flaws, I have pains and sorrows, I have regrets and defeats, and so many heartaches, but I transcend and use my imperfection and tragedy in my work to create beauty towards the Summum Bonum or the highest good.

Danny Castillones Sillada’s essence of a fish

As I've gotten older, I've realized how fleeting my life is, and soon, how quickly I'll be forgotten, along with the things I've done or accomplished; how sad and tragic. Meanwhile, I enjoy my loneliness and solitude, in humility and acceptance, relishing the process and the essence of living, finding meaning in sadness and desolation, like a boatman that traverses between riverbanks, navigating not through time or distance, but the eternal flow of waters towards to ocean.