A person cannot quit a place without changing it. He leaves behind traces and unconsciously infuses spaces with parts of himself. Between Obscured Memories (Lot 2480), by Arturo Sanchez, is a poetic illustration of this theory. Caught in a web of bare branches, convex mirrors expose the secrets of a spectral neighborhood.

The blurred twilight streetscape flickers to life through embedded glass bubbles, which contain carefully built collages underneath their reflective surfaces. Through these images, the artist allows glimpses of what goes on within the walls of these stark, silent houses. Past and present intertwine in a vein-like curtain of trees undressed by the approaching winter, laced with water drops. With its melding of mirror and canvas, painting and collage, Between Obscured Memories is a mystery of introspection, hiding more than it reveals.

Adding to his list of accolades, Sanchez was among eight national winners honored during the most recent biannual Philippine Art Awards. His innovative use of mirrors to layer image upon image, meaning upon meaning, has been lauded by critics as being distinctly innovative and unique.