PROPERTY FROM THE LEOVINO MA. GARCIA COLLECTION

Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot

Provenance: Acquired directly from the Artist

ABOUT THE WORK

In this lot titled Voices, blackness pervades the canvas; darkness seems to have engulfed the entirety of the composition. In traditional symbolism, black signifies despair and disorder. But like a light at the end of the tunnel, patches of white appear and seemingly embark on an endeavor to escape the abyss of the shadows. Lao Lianben, the Zen virtuoso, paints Voices as a likely self-portrait. We see him in his creative exercise of profoundly engaging in the transformative power of one’s stillness—a kind of meditation that straddles between quietude and vitality. The white patches signify the “voices,” not the literal “voices” of others but the often-contradicting thoughts within Lao himself. Thus, the work exemplifies the artist’s continuing pursuit of exploring the infinite possibilities and reinvigorations that imbibing the spirit of Zen in one’s self can engender. Through Lao’s artistic praxis of cathartic and transformative meditation, made possible through his spiritual spontaneity in creating his sublime art, the artist ignites that ever-powerful flame of transcendent harmony that recognizes, confronts, understands, and unites the often conflicting “voices” inside of him, be it in the form of corporal or spiritual needs or even the rigidity of logic and intellect and the unbridled gush of creativity. In this regard, the white patches not only give us glimpses into Lao’s psyche but provide us a mystical view into our inner selves; we have now integrated ourselves into the composition. It is not Lao’s portrait anymore but our image. The blackness of the composition changes to become a symbol of that powerful capability inside of us to recognize the endless cycle of contradictions and transform them as paths towards strengthened enlightenment made possible by continuous meditation and introspection in everything we do. Thus, we are in an infinite cycle of birth and rebirth, a liberating way of thinking toward the renewal of the self. In the still of darkness, we honor, not evade, that inner darkness we encounter in order to bring ourselves to light, the fullness and clarity of being and becoming amid a chaotic world filled with everyday vicissitudes. The work Voices becomes like a gospel that is empowering and reawakening. (Adrian Maranan)