EVERYONE

CARRIES

A SHADOW

We all carry shadows—fragments of ourselves that remain hidden beneath the surface.

In Everyone Carries a Shadow, Faye Abantao draws from Carl Jung’s theory of the shadow self to explore the unconscious aspects of identity: repressed weaknesses, untapped potentials, innate talents, undiscovered depths, and more.

Abantao brings to light these shadows. Her images — the solitary figure, the mirror reflecting emptiness, the frayed papers — quietly pose an urgent question: Who am I beneath what the world sees? Each canvas invites you to peer inward and face what lies within.

This exhibit raises three points. First, who is your hidden self? What traits, desires, or impulses do you suppress in order to conform with societal expectations? Second, how does this suppression shape your conscious identity? In what ways do your buried shadows come clawing to the surface? Finally, how does the tension between your external and internal selves tip the delicate balance between belonging and authenticity?

Jung’s concept of the shadow speaks to the emotions that linger beneath the surface, the stories left untold. This is Abantao’s fascination. What we suppress, what we conceal, and what we fear to reveal often holds the deepest truths about who we are—sometimes exposed, willingly or unwillingly, at the cost of belonging. Through her work, she seeks to give form to these unseen burdens, inviting us to confront and understand our own.

Mia Rodriguez

Solo Exhibition
Ysobel Art Gallery, Taguig City, Philippines
March 2025