When two distinct creative dimensions collide—not in competition, but in conversation and collaboration—there is always a profound sense of artistic electricity that occurs. In the case of geometric abstractionist Aaron Virata Mempin and premier jewelry designer Mitzi De Castro Parungao, this kind of convergence feels nothing like a clash, but more like alchemy. What emerges is beyond just a mere conventional exhibit, but an immersive dialogue. Between them exists a shared language, one that moves effortlessly from the wall to the body, and back again.
To begin with, their creative practices exist in entirely different spheres. Virata Mempin’s visual art occupies space, asks to be stood before, absorbed, and even viewed from a distance, as it is often layered with texture and narrative, making it the kind of art that unfolds slowly. Parungao’s pieces, on the other hand, are intimate. They are meant to be held, worn, and lived with. Virata Mempin’s work invites observation, while Parungao’s pieces encourage participation. Thus, together, their alliance feels both artistic and approachable. This shared sensibility was what made their collaboration feel inevitable.
These two creative souls proved this during their recently concluded joint exhibit held at Salcedo Auctions in Makati City. Presented by the Rotary Club of Makati, this exclusive one-day-only preview featured Virata Mempin’s geometric abstract masterpieces and Parungao’s fine jewelry, plus collab pieces which they ‘authored’ together. The shared exhibit brought together two strengths that rarely meet in equal measure, highlighting artistic depth and emotional accessibility. It showcased how Virata Mempin’s visual art carries a strong visual identity, which is expressive, layered, and rooted in storytelling, reflection, memory, and meaning. Meanwhile, it also highlighted Parungao’s sensibility that understands people, spaces, and audience connection, as she has an instinct for translating creativity into experiences that feel warm, relatable, and culturally resonant.
“My visual language adjusted from purely structural geometry on canvas to a more fluid dialogue with jewelry. I was drawn to Mitzi’s ability to translate complex emotions into wearable art, which mirrors my own pursuit of finding order within my pieces,” Virata Mempin shared, and further explained that he associates this collaboration with the concept of “Refined Intersections,” where the precision of geometry meets the organic elegance of fine jewelry craftsmanship. On the flipside, Parungao admitted to being immediately struck by the energy of Virata Mempin’s geometric abstract art and responded by creating pieces that sought to capture and reflect that same vibrancy. “I was most surprised by how naturally our two distinct mediums merged into a singular, cohesive narrative. Moving forward, my practice will likely embrace more cross-disciplinary influences to keep the creative process fresh and expansive,” she expressed.
Parungao is a designer driven by the desire to create timeless, soul-stirring jewelry that celebrates personal milestones and the heritage of fine craftsmanship. “My inspiration is drawn from the intersection of nature’s organic beauty and the structured elegance of modern architecture. In this exhibit, I was telling stories of connection and the invisible threads that bind different artistic disciplines together. Working with Aaron challenged me to think more abstractly about composition and how a piece of jewelry can function as a sculpture in motion,” she mused. “This first collaboration with a visual artist did not require an adjustment of my voice but rather amplified its resonance through a larger visual scale. The conversation is strongest in the pieces where the angularity of his lines perfectly cradles the curves of my jewelry designs,” Parungao added. To which, Virata Mempin responded: “Her focus on the intimacy of jewelry pushed me to continue the smaller, finer details of my work. Our exchange was a fluid flow of ideas.”
In today’s creative landscape, audiences are increasingly drawn not only to talent, but to authenticity because more and more people tend to respond to projects that feel personal, intentional, and emotionally honest. This recent partnership of Virata Mempin and Parungao carries that value, as there was a natural chemistry in the way art, storytelling, lifestyle, and human connection melded their works. What made this creative partnership compelling is contrast balanced by shared vision. Virata Mempin leans toward introspection and visual narrative, while Parungao contributes energy, lifestyle appeal, and a strong sense of audience engagement. Where he created emotional texture, she helped shape how that emotion was embraced and experienced.
It comes as no surprise, therefore, how beneath these differences lies a striking similarity. After all, both are—at their core—storytellers. Each of them approaches their craft with a sensitivity to detail that borders on the obsessive, in the best way. Nothing is random, whether it is a line, a curve, or a material choice; all their separate decisions are always made with intent. Their works do not simply exist; they communicate. Themes of identity, memory, and transformation surface not as declarations, but as quiet undercurrents, inviting the viewer (or in Parungao’s case, the wearer) to find their own meaning within them.
Central to the exhibit is a limited suite of three pioneering collaborative earrings that serve as the physical manifestation of Shared Authorship. Parungao’s dangling pieces feature meticulously set gems and Akoya pearls, nested within silver dipped in yellow gold. In these works, the rigid, structural ‘grid’ of Virata Mempin’s geometric world finds a new, fluid soul. The angularity of the silver-gold forms acts as a modern cradle for the organic luster of the pearls, transforming Virata Mempin’s two-dimensional ‘organized chaos’ into wearable, three-dimensional sculptures that move with the wearer.
This joint exhibit diffused the gap between viewing and wearing. Where Virata Mempin dealt with visual narrative, Parungao translated this emotion into form. His canvas became a starting point, while her jewelry developed a continuation. It is in this intersection of narrative and embodiment that their collaboration found its most compelling expression because what began as image became an object; what was merely observed flattened into something worn. Art suddenly shed its usual constraints, became something far more personal, something anyone doesn’t just encounter, but really carries. It evolved into something wherein audiences encountered a certain story hanging on the wall, and then, almost without realizing it, they were invited to carry with them a piece of that story.
For Virata Mempin, this collaboration has allowed him to explore how two-dimensional geometric abstraction can find a physical, three-dimensional soul through jewelry. Parungao, meanwhile, admitted that the conversation is strongest in the pieces where the angularity of Virata Mempin’s lines perfectly cradles the curves of her jewelry designs. Because of this unique collaboration, Virata Mempin underscored how both of them learned that their individual creative voices were not diminished, but rather enriched. “This is what happens when we leave room for another artist’s vision,” he smiled.
What made this partnership particularly resonant was how it challenged the boundaries we often place between art and adornment. Jewelry, in Parungao’s hands, resists being reduced to a mere accessory. It becomes sculptural, conceptual, something closer to collectible art than ornament. Meanwhile, Virata Mempin’s work gains a new dimension through this translation, its narratives no longer fixed in place, but allowed to move, to shift, to be reimagined through the wearer.
This kind of cross-disciplinary creative dialogue feels not only relevant, but essential. It raises a compelling question about what happens when art refuses to remain static. True art lovers, collectors, and connoisseurs understand that art, at its most powerful, is not simply meant to be observed or admired—it is meant to be lived with, experienced, and shared. The collaborative exhibit of Mitzi Parungao and Aaron Virata Mempin stands as a vivid testament to that shared artistic vision.
For more information about this exclusive exhibit, contact the Rotary Club of Makati, Inc., MRCFI Building, 8001 Camia St., Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City, Philippines or call: (63 2) 899-7863 to 65. Follow or contact Filipino geometric abstract artist Aaron Virata Mempin via his Socials—IG: @aaron.virata.mempin / FB: Aaron Virata Mempin – Artist / Tiktok: @aaronviratamempin / YT: @aaron.virata.mempin / X: aaronviratamemp or email him at avmsartworks@gmail.com and Mitzi Parungao through https://www.instagram.com/_mitzijewels_/.
