The sublime and the serene is evident in the works of Lao Lianben. A wellspring of Oriental inspiration, his monochromatic works derive from the philosophy of Zen Buddhism, its meditational quietude the driving force for his oeuvre. “I do not practice Buddhism, but I am intrigued by it,” he said in a 2023 Lifestyle Inquirer interview. “When I observe monks in their daily way of life, they allow me to imagine and create stories in my head. My eyes enable me to form ideas and come up with motifs for my paintings.”
His 2010 Monk is as simple as it is intuitive. Monochromatic and minimalistic, Lao's carefully placed streaks create the image of the titular monk with their forehead pressed on the ground in meditation. His process of layering paint on canvas creates a ridge-like texture echoing the surface of rocks found in nature or perhaps the falling rain. The purifying effect of Zen is evident in Monk – water cleanses, allowing one to go into an interactive and transformative contemplation.
“Be drawn into a silence that speaks of compassion and joy,” professor and Lao collector Leovino Ma. Garcia writes for Black Water: A Monk’s Dream. “Like the empty bowl of a Buddhist monk, his paintings here, in their bare simplicity, offer an inexhaustible feast for thought.” Herein lies the charm of Lao’s works – going against the grain of Filipino maximalism, his oeuvre whispers. His paintings speak to you but one must be silent to hear them and Lao rewards this silence with an evocative and introspective experience quite unique to the artist. (Hannah Valiente)
Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist