Gajah Gallery is pleased to present the second iteration of our online feature – Fresh Vision, where esteemed names at the forefront of their respective fields (from architecture, to stage and the culinary arts) are invited to curate a focused digital exhibition. Alongside this we present an in-depth interview, revealing the stories of how they began their collections, their personal artistic tastes and their inspirations.
For the second edition, we feature award-winning Filipino singer and actor, Franco Laurel. In 1998, Laurel received national attention as the co-host of the dance show Keep on Dancing. In 1999, he made his first appearance in professional theatre, and has since received two ALIW Awards for Best Actor in a Musical.
Titled Colours of the Heart, Laurel has chosen to showcase two paintings by Erizal As and Ibrahim – both abstract artists whose works he finds ‘tug at the heart’ through a masterful rendition of life and nature in a plethora of colour.
“When I look at the works of Ibrahim, I immediately feel something about it, his use of colors and the way he puts it all together, it is like a beautiful song that continues to play over and over again tugging at one’s heart.”
In the midst of a global pandemic, Laurel searches for answers and avenues of escape. Faced with new realities of working from home, restricted movement and a lack of physical contact, the world has begun to address the importance of and issues surrounding mental health. For him, art is one such avenue – a positive force that brings us comfort, uplifts weary souls and sparks joy amidst these uncertain times.
“Erizal’s artistic style is unapologetic. He creates his masterpieces with vigor, and has the superb ability to use a plethora of colors stroke for stroke painting to his own rhythm where the outcome is a unique interpretation of life as he sees it.”
View the online exhibition here.
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