PROPERTY FROM THE MARIA CARMENCITA "MENCHU" KATIGBAK COLLECTION

Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist

ABOUT THE WORK

I n human anatomy, the white matter regions of the central nervous system refer to those parts of the brain responsible for efficient brain signaling. According to MedlinePlus, the online health information service of the US National Library of Medicine, “white matter is found in the deeper tissues of the brain (subcortical). It contains nerve fibers (axons), which are extensions of nerve cells (neurons). Many of these nerve fibers are surrounded by a type of sheath or covering called myelin. Myelin gives the white matter its colors. It also protects the nerve fibers from injury. It improves the speed and transmission of electrical nerve signals along extensions of the nerve cells called axons.” In short, the brain’s white matter are “channels of communication” that ensure the quick yet proper transmittal and reception of information between different areas of the brain. In this work, Lao depicts the white matter as a waterfall-like structure. The artist derives inspiration from the scientific definition of white matter and reimagines and reinvents them in his soothing language of Zen. Lao’s unbridled pencil strokes, which evoke the nerve fibers, emanate from the acrylic modeling resembling the white matter. Here, the artist presents how a dynamic mind powerfully engages in profound With husband Toting (center), Manolo and Maritess Lopez in Paris during the Cory Aquino state visit © Katigbak Photo Archives In 2015, in the residence of the US Ambassador in Paris, Menchu (middle) with Washington Sycip (second from the right), Federico and Monina Lopez © Katigbak Photo Archives meditation. Akin to the white matter and the nerve fibers that enable our neurons to send and receive electrical and chemical signals for proper coordination of bodily functions, Lao presents how meditation inherently runs throughout our inner selves, ensuring a keen awareness and perception of the imperfections and contradictions of the mortal world. Lao shows how our decisions and determinations are borne from active introspection, the consummate realization of the balance and contrasts of all things, whether material or abstract, spiritual or corporal. Like a waterfall both gently and powerfully cascading down from a mountain, Lao manifests the unbridled flow of intrinsic calm borne from the meditation of the spirit; a meditation that is quiet in form yet dynamic in practice. The brain’s white matter and meditation both function in the same way: continuously establishing a sense of harmony and clarity. As the legendary founder of Zen Buddhism, Bodhidharma once said: “Not thinking about anything is Zen. Once you know this, walking, sitting, or lying down, everything you do is Zen.” (Adrian Maranan)