Artist Statement
I approach my work often thinking about representations of the body, public site, and architecture. Because of this, I lean heavily towards the aesthetics of familial gatherings, particularly the ways in which people, everyday objects, and the surrounding environment interact with one another to produce new narratives and meanings. I consider my practice an ongoing investigation on the visual languages that are built, transformed, and used to ground people’s experiences with the physical world. This has also expanded into sensorial experiences such as sound, smell, and touch. I’m also interested in how these experiences impact collective memory, the dissonance of hybrid identities, the precariousness of home and belonging, and the movement of individuals and groups of individuals.
In my art practice, I work primarily with sculpture and textiles because of the evocative potential of the materials used in these forms. Processes and natures of mould-making and casting in traditional methods of sculpture, as well as in textile design and fabrication through weaving, spinning, and dyeing, are opportunities to contribute to contemporary cultural conversations.
Biography
Timothy Manalo is a sculpture and installation artist born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from OCAD University, majoring in Sculpture and Installation, and was awarded the Medal for his program. Following his undergraduate studies, he worked extensively in the fabrication industry as a studio assistant and in-house sculptor for various companies specializing in art and design fabrication that included, outdoor commercial sculptures, mascot costumes and props, interior wall finishing and custom art.
In 2019, he completed a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art from the SMFA at Tufts University in Boston, with a Certificate in Museum Studies. Following his studies, he was awarded a Post-Graduate Teaching Fellowship, teaching 3D Foundations for a full academic year. Manalo has exhibited in galleries in Canada and the United States that include the Canadian Sculpture Centre in Toronto, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, and was an artist-in-residence at Franconia Sculpture Park in Shafer, Minnesota. He also received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council. Currently, Manalo is a recipient of the 2023/2024 Leisa Rich Fibre Arts Residency Award at the Contemporary Textile Studio and Co-op in Toronto, as well as a Researcher at The After School with the Center for Arts, Design and Social Research. He is also preparing for an upcoming residency at the International Studio and Curatorial Program (ISCP) in Brooklyn, New York.