PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF A VERY DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN

ABOUT THE WORK

With his Oriental sensibility, Lao has created an oeuvre that serves as a visual homage to the spirit of Zen aesthetics. Also known as Wabi-Sabi, this Japanese art form is inspired by the tenets of Buddhism – unraveling and discerning the beauty behind transience and imperfection. To deem Lao’s works as simple and uncomplicated is to undermine his zealous devotion to Zen art, as this style requires a conscientious approach, as well as a comprehensive grasp on the art of calligraphy. Lao’s method involves employing layers of textures. His works exude an ambiance of contemplative bliss, rendering them in “soft tensions of flawed registry and vibrated lines.” (PHILIPPINE CENTER, NEW YORK) Zen art paints the significance of almost empty spaces, signifying solitary quietude. Metaphorically, appreciating Lao’s Zen Clouds is similar to being drifted away towards a tranquil state of mind. Clouds can take any shape, and Lao depicts the beauty of being unbridled in engrossing ourselves amidst clouds of rumination. Like a Buddhist monk, Lao enlightens us in the beauty of reveling in serenity despite the ambiguity of his composition. It is a power that can only be found in the depths of our imaginative faculty. As written by Leovino Ma. Garcia in Black Water: A Monk’s Dream, “Lao Lianben continues to will only one thing – to render what is invisible to the eyes.”