Lot description
Neurotic Zen Master signed and dated 1989 (lower left) acrylic and modeling paste on canvas 48" x 48" (122 cm x 122 cm) PROVENANCE Galleria Duemila In the realm of Filipino abstraction, Lao Lianben has cultivated a visual language rooted in stillness, restraint, and contemplation. Working within a minimalist vocabulary, Lao is less concerned with representation than with presence itself—those elusive spaces between appearance and disappearance, silence and form. His paintings often unfold through layered fields of black, surfaces built slowly and deliberately until they become less image than atmosphere. Rather than announcing themselves immediately, his works reveal their complexity through time and attention. Zen philosophy and the discipline of calligraphy quietly underpin much of Lao’s practice. His gestures are measured and meditative, carrying the sensibility of a mark distilled to its essence. Often inspired by words, memories, or fleeting ideas, Lao approaches painting almost as a form of translation—transforming abstract thought into texture, rhythm, and spatial tension. Yet despite the philosophical undertones of his work, there remains a certain humility within it. His paintings never force interpretation; instead, they create room for reflection, inviting viewers into a quieter mode of seeing. In this work, a vast black field envelops the canvas, textured with delicate vertical movements that appear to shimmer and recede within the darkness. The surface feels deeply worked yet restrained, absorbing light rather than reflecting it. Near the lower center rests a small pale form, almost like a fragment or illuminated remnant suspended against the immense surrounding void. (Jed Daya)
