Art in the home

Living with art, whether it is functional or something purely visual for our home, gives meaning to who we are and what moves and motivates us. I enjoy walking through a home and looking at the pieces of my clients, as this allows me passage into their minds and character. Art chosen for its purely decorative quality tells me that they would prefer a design that complements their environment. Edgy art pieces, on the other hand, would suggest that they are willing to make a statement in their space. I see art as a part of our life, our living environment. It helps us express who we are without us having to say a single word. It adds life to our surroundings and tells a story about our likes, wants, needs and attitudes. I truly believe art has a place in our living environments, especially in our homes.

Opening soon is an exhibit of the Ayala Museum, called eMERGEnce, which depicts art and living all in the same space. It is a collaboration of four artists to design a home space with furnishings and artworks to provide insight into merging of a lifestyle and art. The artists are Wilmer Lopez, an interior and furniture designer; Jordan Mendoza, a figurative sculptor; Reg Yuson, a conceptual sculptor and environmental artist; and Jaime S. Zobel, artist/photographer. The exhibit gives you ideas on how we can bring art into our lives, either for functionality or for aesthetics—even for both.

As we walked through the different rooms, Lopez explained each as it relates to a typical tropical home. The main entrance or foyer greets you with a human figure reaching for the heavens, a sculpture by Mendoza with an elongated form to accentuate the vertical volume of the room. The painting by Zobel uses a red line to draw the eye horizontally and then down to the chaise longue chair designed by Lopez. All three art pieces quietly work in tandem to compose the foyer, almost tuning the space into a visual work of art.

The living room is arranged in a static formation, but the art pieces and furniture fabrics provide movement and texture to the room. The sofa, with its horizontal lines, is complemented by the painting Red on Red by Zobel, which continues the horizontal lines providing a balanced feel to the room.

The art pieces seem to dance and move within the room. The sculpted dancers by Mendoza suggest motion while the coffee table by Yuson provides movement through the bases of the table. The lamps, chair and fringe chandelier, all designed by Wilmer, also denote names such as boogie chair as tribute to the art of movement.

Tables, chairs and other pieces were transformed into functional art in some of the living spaces. A console in the meditation room was lighted to highlight the sculptural natural bamboo. Glass doors screened with photographic art by Zobel allow light to illuminate a living room. If you’re running out of wall space, here’s one alternative to display art.

I found the sculptural pieces of Mendoza to be well done and very expressive. You can almost hear the music the dancers are moving to. The play of scale of Yuson’s pieces suggests an architectural presence. A collage of geometric forms on the wall conjures a cityscape in plain view, the negative and positive spaces punctuating this stylized urban view.

There are many ways to incorporate art into our daily lives. Art has taken a whole new dimension beyond hanging on a wall or being showcased on a table. Art can be functional and easily blend into our day-to-day routine. Opening on November 10, eMERGEnce can be viewed on the ground floor of the Ayala Museum.

The exhibit is also an opportunity for philanthropists to engage in an educational cause, as part of the proceeds from the art sales will help bring Gilyas (Gearing up Internet Literacy and Access for Students) in providing Internet connectivity to all public high schools.