The work of painter Jeff Pabotoy in on display on the second floor at the Central Library for the month of August. The series, called “Bones and Instruments”, shows the study of light and object through space, and creates relationships between the two, which are otherwise non-existent.

About the process of creating, Jeff says:

I find comfort and warmth in my friends and family. When I am not with them, I find myself clinging to the objects they leave behind; a substitute for their absence. My paintings are often mistaken for still-life observations, but in reality, they are portraits of family and friends represented through objects.

One example of this is a painting of mine representing my father as an iron clamp. This could not be more symbolic of who he is as a man. The cast iron clamp is simple, strong, will not break, and it holds tight all things that may other wise fall apart; the exact qualities my father possesses.

About himself, Jeff writes: 

I was born in a farming/fishing village in Bohol, Philippines. My father a carpenter and my mother is an American Peace-Corp volunteer. My family moved to northern Virginia at age 13. This was a difficult time for my family and me as each of us struggled to blend and assimilate into a new culture. In school I was either invisible or served as a target of ridicule; both equally unpleasant.

Art started as a tool to attract attention in a positive light, and later became a language through which I used to identify and express myself. Wanting more and more from art, I continued to pursue it through college. Through scholarships I was able to attend and graduate from the Maryland Institute College of Art’s painting department in the year 2000.

20% of all art sales go to the Friends of the Library. For pricing information, contact the artist.


Visit out Art Exhibit page to find out more about Library art shows.