A look into the luminous world of Katrina Cuenca

Abstract floral art shines in 'Elysian'

By S.C. Fojas

• Katrina Cuenca's 'Elysian' is a glimpse into an artist's personal paradise, a luminous world she built for herself and now, for us.
• 
  

Katrina Cuenca’s art, with its graceful, “petal-like abstract figurations,” is a celebration of light and happiness. Yet, as her latest solo exhibit, “Elysian,” opens at Art Lounge Manila, we discover that the seemingly tranquil works are born from a deeply personal journey of healing and resilience.

MEET THE ARTIST Katrina Cuenca

Katrina revealed that her signature style, characterized by “very flowy figures” and bright palettes, began as a way to process grief after the passing of her mother. “I found peace in painting how I wanted to feel,” she shares. “That has been the foundation of my art since it was my tribute to her.” This foundation gives her work a powerful underlying essence that has remained constant even as her style has evolved.

'BRAZEN BLOOMS' 36 inches diameter, oil and purple leaf on canvas, 2025

Her paintings are like portals to a world both remembered and imagined anew. This idea aligns with her mission as an artist. “The intention behind my work is always to give its viewers a feeling of peace and happiness,” she explains. For her, creating happy images is a deliberate act, “a conscious choice to turn my back on all the darkness and negativity from my past, with the goal of protecting my peace moving forward.” This proactive approach to finding and sharing tranquility is what makes her art so compelling.

'CHORUS OF PETALS AND PLAY' 36x48 inches, oil and gold leaf on canvas, 2025

For “Elysian,” Katrina has taken her materials to new heights. The exhibit’s works shimmer with light, partly due to her experiment with glass. “It is a very elegant and interesting material to work with,” she says, noting that it requires “so much patience and respect for the process. This new medium to her works added a layer of luminosity.

'ELYSIAN BLOOMS' 48x48 inches, oil and purple leaf on Canvas, 2025

'WHISPERS OF SERENITY', 48x48 inches, oil and gold leaf on canvas, 2025

A journey of grit and creativity

As a self-taught artist, Katrina’s path to success was not without its challenges. She openly admits that her lack of formal art education was a major insecurity. But this initial disadvantage became her greatest asset. “I had to get creative and create the opportunity for myself instead of waiting for one to come up,” she recalls.

'FRACTUS CAELI' 8x7x4.5 inches, glass sculpture, 2025

This resourcefulness, which she calls “the lessons and grit that I earned while paying my dues,” led to some very unconventional ventures. In 2012, she even paid a gallery ₱3,500 just to show one of her paintings at a major art fair. This determination culminated in a successful group exhibit she and her husband organized in 2016, which included 40 artists and was held at a condominium. “It was my ticket,” she says.

'LUMEN CAPTUM' 10.5x10x5 inches, glass sculpture, 2025

Katrina’s creative process reflects her spontaneous spirit. She doesn’t follow a strict schedule, as “creativity comes in waves.” Instead, she keeps multiple notebooks for ideas and has cabinets filled with various materials, from beads to crystals, that she can play with. “I need days where I do something outside of what I normally make,” she says.

'WINGED EMBRACE' 13x9.5x11 inches, copper sculpture, 2025

Katrina Cuenca’s “Elysian” exhibit offers more than just beautiful paintings. It is a glimpse into an artist’s personal paradise, a luminous world she built for herself and now, for us. It is on view at Art Lounge Manila - Molito Lifestyle Center until Sept. 29, 2025.

Check out this hauntingly beautiful exhibit that will open your eyes

How a look into Lourdes Cabrera's 'Earth Garden' stuns viewers

BY S.C. FOJAS

Apr 16, 2025 01:27 AM

  

---

AT A GLANCE

• “Earth Garden,” reflected her vision of life, harmony, and hidden chaos. 

MEET THE ARTIST Lourdes Morales-Cabrera

Visual art artist Lourdes Cabrera never imagined she’d mount an exhibit at this stage in her life. "I consider myself a newbie in this undertaking,” she said. “But after much thinking, I decided to continue my passion for art. There is no retirement in art.”

'LEOPARD FLOWER,' oil on canvas, 24x24 inches, 2022

Her third solo exhibit, “Earth Garden,” was a revelation, with lush blooms layered with watchful eyes and human forms blending with petals. The works seemed beautiful at first glance, but upon closer look, the viewer felt tension from the coexistence of light and shadow, of peace and unrest. “A friend once sent me many pictures of flowers,” Lourdes shared. “They were beautiful, but I noticed the eyes and human forms. I thought, ‘only artists could do such things.’ It triggered something dormant within her - a calling she had set aside long ago.

'FORTUNE PLANT,' oil on canvas, 36x24 inches, 2024

Lourdes studied Fine Arts at the University of Santo Tomas with her husband. After they married, she decided to take a step back from art and focused on supporting her husband’s creative career. “He worked without letup,” she said. “I stayed home and gave him all the time to be the artist.” While she briefly pursued tutoring in illustration, painting remained a quiet longing - until now. 

'CHERRY BLOSSOMS,' oil on canvas, 24x24 inches, 2025

“The creative process felt like love at first sight,” Lourdes explains. “From preparing the canvas to choosing the colors, it was exciting from beginning to end.” She repurposed her husband’s old canvases, coating them in white acrylic before starting. “At first, I was just excited to paint again, I thought, being childless, I finally had time.”

'FLOWER WET WITH DEW,' oil on canvas, 36x24 inches, 2022

“Earth Garden,” reflected her vision of life, harmony, and hidden chaos. “It represented everything in this life,” she says. “A study of how we think and move through the world. Flowers are positive creations, but their negativity lies hidden behind that beauty. They represent the suppressed parts of us - the things we might carry a lifetime without realizing.

'FOX GLOVE,' oil on canvas, 30x24 inches, 2022

Reactions to her work varied. “An old friend of my husband’s came to the show and asked, ‘Why only now?’” Lourdes shares. “Another viewer said, ‘I’ve attended many exhibits but your paintings are different.’ He asked about the eyes - what they symbolized. When I explained, he admitted he was fearful. But that was never my intention.”

'LEAVED IN WEEDS,' oil on canvas, 24x24 inches, 2022

For Lourdes, the eyes and forms represented the animalistic and emotional sides of humanity - parts we don’t always acknowledge. “Flowers are often associated with softness and femininity,” she said. “But in my case, they carried hidden truths.” 

'PINK FLOWERS,' oil on canvas, 36x24 inches, 2024

Through “Earth Garden,” Lourdes peeled back the petals of her own life and invited viewers to do the same. “We all have dual lives,” she reflected. “We show what we want others to see, but we hide the rest. I simply shared what I had been holding onto.”

In doing so, she showed that no matter the pause, the art within us can still bloom when the time is finally right.

'PUFFED FLOWERS,' oil on canvas, 36x24 inches, 2022

“Earth Garden” ran until April 19 at ThomBayan Arts and Crafts, Bangkal, Makati City.
 

Woman power

JM Saycon celebrates feminine strength

BY S.C. FOJAS

Dec 7, 2024 10:25 AM

  

---

AT A GLANCE

• ‘In the future, I believe that women will likely play an even more prominent role in solving global challenges, such as climate change, social justice, and economic equality.’ 
  

---

JM Saycon

Sculptor JM Saycon made his viewers pause and reflect on the timeless beauty of the past and the enduring power of the human spirit in his recently-concluded exhibit “Birth of the Innocent” at the Art Underground.

 

Inspired by his late mother, Saycon’s work was a heartfelt tribute to all mothers and women. 

 

“My inspiration is my mom,” Saycon shared. “Since my mother passed away, my advocacy has become representing everybody else’s mother through my work. I want to inspire people to appreciate their moms and give back to them while they still have the opportunity to do so. I also dedicate this to women who are battling gender stigma.”

 

BIRTH OF THE INNOCENT, 48x36 inches, oil and acrylic on canvas, 2024 

 

The exhibit showcased a fusion of classical and contemporary art. Saycon’s marble sculptures, draped in aluminum foil, symbolize the delicate balance between the past and present.

 

THREE GRACES 1, 48x36 inches, oil and acrylic on canvas, 2024

 

“Both materials can endure passage of time,” he explained. “The marble sculpture represented the classical period or the past while the present or the contemporary time was represented by the metallic foil. I wanted to connect and make a bridge between these two distinct periods.”

 

PSYCHE, 30x24 inches, oil and acylic on canvas, 2024 

A recurring theme in Saycon’s work was the celebration of feminine strength and empowerment. “Feminine strength and women empowerment are deeply interconnected concepts that reflect both individual and collective power,” he said. “In the future, I believe that women will likely play an even more prominent role in solving global challenges, such as climate change, social justice, and economic equality.”

 

CUPID, 30x24 inches, oil and acylic on canvas, 2024

 

Childhood and innocence also hold meaning for the artist. “Childhood and innocence are not only pivotal to individual development but also serve as powerful symbols in cultural narratives about purity and hope,” he said.

 

THREE GRACES 3, 48x36 inches, oil and acylic on canvas, 2024

 

The artist’s meticulous attention to detail and his ability to evoke emotion through his work were evident in each piece. The serene faces of the women and children depicted in his sculptures convey a sense of timeless beauty and resilience.

 

THE SEED, 36x36 inches, oil and acylic on canvas, 2024

 

Through his art, Saycon wanted to convey the importance of cherishing time and appreciating loved ones. “I want to convey through my art the appreciation of time or aging, and how we perceive and respond to it. Time is one of our most valuable possessions and I’d like to say that you must love your parents because one day they won’t be here and you will no longer have the chance to say or do the things you wish you could have done,” he ends.

 

Art Underground is located at 2/F Mabini180, 180 A. Mabini St., Addition Hills, San Juan.