Provenance: Provenance: Private Collection, Quezon City

ABOUT THE WORK

One of the foremost Filipino artists working with abstraction today, Lao Lianben’s distinctive style manages to capture the imagination by using only the most essential elements. His figures and subjects invite contemplation as one is absorbed by both the familiarity of the work and its completely foreign features. This juxtaposition of elements encourages the viewer to question their relationship with everyday objects. In this piece titled Secret, Lianben’s figure is precariously shaped like an entryway, leading the viewer into a closer and more personal connection. While the large depressed area in the center serves as a gap between the viewer and the piece itself, offering only a cursory glance at the truth behind its four walls.