Artist Kublai Millan
Kublai Millan is Mindanao's most prolific visual artist, rendering canvases with colorful palettes, larger-than-life sculptures, and monuments. Advocating to bring out the stories of Mindanao through his artworks in various forms, Kublai believes what he has rendered so far is not yet what his soul is reaching out for.
"Sum of Symbols 14" 24 x 24. Acrylic on canvas. 2023
"Summa" is one of those meanderings his mind has segued to in trying to grasp—in figures and colors—this continuing journey into his art. Abstractions of everyday scenes in Mindanao are seen, as well as nature’s gifts to children’s games and indigenous people's culture and norms. "Summa" simplifies the compositions further into symbols, rendering fewer lines through deeper introspections.
"Sum of Symbols 24" 24 x 24. Acrylic on canvas. 2023
"Summa" is about condensing a whole gamut of emotions, experiences, and scenes into blocks and figures of colors that brings out “Aha!” moments within those who look long enough. It’s an invitation to let the lines and colors speak their messages from what was there before to what it has become—a synthesis of what the artist has seen and experienced, which he brings with him in this journey beyond just knowing himself as a Mindanaoan artist, but who a Mindanaoan is beyond Mindanao. In the process, too, he is inviting the audience to reflect on the temporariness of what is now to the permanence of who we really are, as one people, as one soul—all of humanity.
"The Sun Above 1" 96 x 144. Acrylic on canvas. Triptych 2023.
Another unique aspect of Kublai’s works are his use of organic shapes yet resemble geometric figures that favor a contrasting view of explored open form, piercing figures and objects by letting the space flow through them, blending background into foreground, and showing objects from various angles.
In this exhibition, Kublai Millan presents his sum of symbols, an exploration of "Summa" in its myriad forms. It is an invitation to contemplate the interconnectedness of our existence, to navigate the depths of our shared histories, and to find meaning in the profound tapestry of life itself.
"The Sun Above 2"96 x 144. Acrylic on canvas. Triptych 2023.
Kublai Millan’s “Summa” was exhibited last July 2 to 15, 2023 at Art Lounge Manila at The Podium, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong. The exhibit will be moved to Art Lounge Manila at Molito Lifestyle Center, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa from Aug. 1 to 13, 2023. For more information, please visit www.artloungemanila.com. Like and follow @artloungemanila on Facebook and Instagram for more details.