ROLLANCE PATUGAN | LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

THE DANES

by Rollance Patugan

Where are you from? In general, this would be a simple question to answer, but to a specific population in Denmark it can be confusing and at times alienating.

Starting around the mid-1960’s, the Danish government began the adoption process of orphans from Korea initially as a result from the Korean War. Culturally and socially, these infants grew up 100% Danish, however, their appearance goes against the grain of the homogenous population of Denmark.

In the United States, it is possible for Korean-Americans supported by biological parents or communities to maintain their ethnic culture while identifying as being American simultaneously, however, the adopted “Korean-Danes” solely have their Danish culture. If this identity is stripped from them via racism, xenophobia, or ignorance, then what is left for these Danes to identify with? Do they feel like outsiders in their own country? How do they navigate within their own society and culture that may treat them as less Danish?

In this series, “The Danes” attempt to open up these discussions of nationalism and cultural identity through the stories of these Korean adoptees.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2019
Love &/or Fear, Los Angeles Center of Photography, Hollywood, CA
6th Annual LACP Members Exhibition, dnj Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Smashbox Assistants Show, Smashbox Studios, Culver City, CA
Made In California, City of Brea Art Gallery, Brea, CA
Open Show-LA #52, Fabrik Projects Gallery, Culver City, CA
Common Threads II, Art Share LA at Angel City Brewery, Los Angeles, CA
Month of Photography LA Projections, Los Angeles Central Public Library, Los Angeles, CA
PhotoPlay, The Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
StARTup Fair LA, The Kinney Venice Beach, Venice, CA
The Five Elements, Art Share LA at Angel City Brewery, Los Angeles, CA

2018
Perimeter VI, Art Share LA, Los Angeles, CA
Tattoos & Milk, SALAS Studio & Gallery, Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA
Smashbox Assistants Show, Smashbox Studios, Culver City, CA
Summer Salon, Art Share LA, Los Angeles, CA
LACP Faculty, Member, Alumni Show, Los Angeles Center of Photography, Hollywood, CA
Made in California, City of Brea Art Gallery, Brea, CA
Open Show Pasadena-East LA #19,  Armory Center for The Arts, Pasadena, CA
Analog vs Digital, The Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
LA Art Show, LACP Booth – Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA

2017
Smashbox Assistants Show, Smashbox Studios, Culver City, CA
Made in California, City of Brea Art Gallery, Brea, CA
Naked vs Nude, The Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Open Show #39, Los Angeles Center of Photography, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA
Good Bokeh, Dab Art and H Studio + Gallery Ventura, CA
E PLURIBUS UNUM: OUT OF MANY, ONE, Artists Rise Up Los Angeles, El Portal Theatre, North Hollywood, CA

2016
Zoo-Manity, Art Share L.A., Los Angeles, CA
Figuratively Speaking, The HUD Gallery, Ventura, CA
ColorPop, ADLA Photo Collective, Los Angeles, CA 
PRO’JEKT LA Instagram Jam, Smashbox Studios, Culver City, CA
Made in California, City of Brea Art Gallery, Brea, CA
MOPLA: Analogue Portrait Project, Aesthesia Studios, Culver City, CA
FASHION: The Union of Art and Fashion, The Studio Door, San Diego, CA
Monochrome-The Black and White Photograph, Arts District Los Angeles Photo Collective, Los Angeles, CA

2015
Smashbox Assistants Show, Smashbox Studios, Culver City, CA
MOPLA: Analogue Project, Aesthesia Studios, Culver City, CA
Made in California, City of Brea Art Gallery, Brea, CA
A One Night Stand, Salon de La Plaza, Los Angeles, CA

2014
Artists for Art’s Sake, Millard Sheets Art Center at Pomona Fairplex, Pomona, CA
Undressed, Juried Online Exhibition (http://linusgallery.com/art-gallery/), Linus Gallery, Pasadena, CA
Exposed: The Contemporary Nude, 1650 Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
MOPLA: Analogue Portrait Project, Aesthesia Studios, Culver City, CA
Made In California, City of Brea Art Gallery, Brea, CA
I Shoot People 2, 1538 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA

2013
It’s Only Natural, Linus Gallery, Pasadena, CA
The Dialect of Form: Body Language & Photography, Brooks Institute Gallery 27, Santa Barbara, CA
Women, Linus Gallery, Pasadena, CA
Smashbox Photo Assistant Show, Smashbox Studios, Culver City, CA
Made in California, City of Brea Art Gallery, Brea, CA
Bacon Social, The Factory, Los Angeles, CA
Bite Me, McGroarty Arts Center, Tujunga, CA

2012
Smashbox Photo Assistant Show, Smashbox Studios, Culver City, CA
Portraiture, ArtExchange, Long Beach, CA
Portrait: Mirror Mirror, Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR
This Ain’t a Scene, 1650 Gallery Echo Park, Los Angeles, CA
MOPLA+SMASHBOX Group Show, Smashbox Studios, Culver City, CA
Black & White: The Absence of Color, MPLS Photo Center, Minneapolis, MN

2011
Eat Me: The Tasty Art of Food Photography, 1650 Gallery Echo Park, Los Angeles, CA
Smashbox Photo Assistant Show, Smashbox Studios, Culver City, CA
Visions of Light, Gallery 27, Santa Barbara, CA
Smashbox Faceoff, Smashbox Studios, Boston, MA

2010
Smashbox Faceoff, Smashbox Studios, West Hollywood, CA
31st SMC Annual Spring Photography Show, Pete and Susan Barrett Art Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

ROLLANCE PATUGAN

Rollence Patugan is a commercial and fine-art photographer as well as an educator based in Los Angeles, California, USA. He has been a recurring artist exhibitor for Month of Photography Los Angeles, Art Share L.A., City of Brea Art Gallery, and Smashbox Studios.

Rollence left the corporate world, or rather, it left him in 2001 when the tech bubble burst. He decided to pursue his dream of becoming an actor, and at some point during this journey, he discovered another passion in his life when he stepped behind the lens bringing his knowledge of story-telling and life’s experiences. Ever since then, Rollence has been in the pursuit of capturing those fleeting moments with people.

Having come from Baldwin Park, California a small but diverse town in the San Gabriel Valley within Los Angeles County, Rollence wants his work to serve the underrepresented people. “I grew up in the 1970-80’s without seeing ‘me’ or my Latino friends on popular media such as television or print. Being an Asian-American specifically of Filipino and Chinese descent and not being seen in government, sports, entertainment, or the arts felt like we didn’t exist.” In his work, he strives to reflect the ethnic diversity that has always been a part of his experiences and reality. He starts with simple ideas and builds layers incrementally from there. “We are all different, and I love photographing that.”

Rollence uses traditional medium format color film to capture the photographs for this ongoing series.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I will always be drawn to people. Having come from Baldwin Park, California a small but diverse town in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, I want my work to serve the underrepresented people. Growing up in the 1970-80’s as an Asian-American specifically of Chinese and Filipino descent, I did not see “me’ nor my Latino friends in government, sports, entertainment, and the arts. We didn’t exist as Americans. In my work, I strive to reflect the ethnic diversity that has always been a part of my experiences and reality. I start with simple ideas and build layers incrementally from there. We are all different, and I love photographing that.

EDUCATOR

Art Share LA – Instructor, 2018
Los Angeles Center of Photography – Instructor, 2015 – Present
Santa Monica College – Professor of Photography, 2013 – Present

CURATOR

Open Show Pasadena/East LA, Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, CA – 2019
The Five Elements, Art Share LA, Angel City Brewery, Los Angeles, CA  – 2019
ColorPop, Arts District Los Angeles Photo Collective, Los Angeles, CA – 2016
Monochrome-The Black and White Photograph, Arts District Los Angeles Photo Collective, Los Angeles, CA  – 2016
Annual SMC Student Photography Show, Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, CA – 2013-2019

AWARDS

Editor’s Pick – Artillery Magazine Women’s Issue – Printed Mar/Apr 2019
Portrait Runner Up – Month Of Photography LA: Analogue Portrait Project, Aesthesia Studios, Culver City, CA – 2015
Signature Artist Award – Made in California,City of Brea Art Gallery, Brea, CA – 2015
Juror’s Choice Award (Meg Linton-OTIS) – Made in California, City of Brea Art Gallery, Brea, CA – 2013
Honorable Mention – Black & White: The Absence of Color, MPLS Photo Center, Minneapolis, MN – 2012
Honorable Mention – IPA (International Photo Awards): Fine-Art Portrait – 2012

AFFILIATIONS

Pasadena Photography Arts (PPA) – Advisor, 2019
Los Angeles Center of Photography (LACP) – Member, 2015 – Present
Arts District Los Angeles Photo Collective – Board Member, 2015- 2016

REPRESENTATION

2017 - Present, Dab Art Co. Los Angeles, CA