ABOUT THE WORK

A lover of Van Gogh for the work and style that the master artist had pioneered, Culaba’s work is a wonderful representation of his very words. His creations, typically presented in epic proportions, are truly one great piece brought together by the combination of small things. An expressive dog, a broken violin, the mask of a horse and the head of a panda – such objects that are typically small in scale and meaning decorate the works of Culaba and form the narrative of his most passionate convictions. “I don’t just put things for no reason or just to fill up empty space, everything has meaning,” he shares. A zealous social realist, the paintings of Melvin Culaba double as a protest. For him art has a purpose, and its purpose is to hold up a mirror to the cracks of society in the hope that proper attention can lead to proper action. “There are many elements in my works that came from my observations,” discloses Culaba. “It’s because I am really angry at the state of things, how and why things are the way they are. I always try to be very aware of our national issues.”