Where light finds form
Jonathan Olazo reimagines Claude Monet in a luminous Manila exhibition
Published Oct 24, 2025 06:46 am
At the Alliance Française de Manille, light does more than illuminate—it converses. In Light Receptacle Café, Filipino painter Jonathan Olazo invites viewers to see the Impressionist master Claude Monet through a contemporary Filipino gaze.
The exhibition, which opened October 18 and runs until November 15, 2025, is curated by Lyn Yusi-Olazo, with delicious bites provided by Bocca during the exhibit opening. The show features layered acrylic and mixed-media works that reinterpret Monet’s devotion to luminosity, rhythm, and time. The show’s title hints at dialogue: “Light” recalls Monet’s lifelong study of illumination, while “Receptacle Café” suggests a gathering place where artistic ideas and cultures meet.
The spirit of Monet in Manila
Olazo’s works extend beyond homage. They are conversations between painter and viewer, between the musings of Paris and the pulse of Metro Manila. For Alliance Française executive director Olivier Dintinger, the connection was immediate.
“I am very moved by these powerful paintings,” he said. “They bring me back to Paris, to the Musée Marmottan, where I first admired Monet’s work. I never expected to experience this kind of homage here in the Philippines.”
A dialogue on light and culture
Dr. Eric Zerrudo, executive director of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, linked the exhibition to broader art history.
“The title Light Receptacle Café reminds us of the discourse we’ve had about how our heroes encountered Impressionism in Paris in the 19th century,” he said. “Jonathan captures that same phenomenon of light and temporality.”
He also underscored its timeliness. “October is a busy time,” Eric said. “It’s also Indigenous Peoples Month, Library Month, and Archives Month. I hope this show inspires lasting friendships and appreciation for our shared cultural heritage.”
Jonathan Olazo with his work
An artist’s evolution
Architect and art advocate Michael “Mico” Liwanag recalled meeting Olazo in 2007.
“I met Jon back in 2007 when we organized an art auction to raise funds for a school for the hearing-impaired,” he said. “Jon and his father both donated their works. That was before art auctions became common in Manila.”
“That was also before his hair and mine turned white,” he added. “I’ve seen him grow as an artist, always pushing boundaries. His work and work ethic inspire me. One day, maybe I’ll pick up the brush again.”
The curator’s insight
For curator Lyn Olazo, the show is both a personal and intellectual exercise.
“Jonathan always challenges me with his unorthodox approach to his work,” she said. “He loves to move from one style to another, working on different mediums simultaneously. He gathers nuances and signs from his surroundings, from the street, from our daily life, and brings them into his paintings.”
She noted that his inspirations come from literature as much as from art. “Jonathan is a huge fan of French art critics and writers,” she said. “He loves Roland Barthes and often cites Charles Baudelaire’s studies on modern life, how beauty can be found in the everyday.”
Lyn added that her husband’s fascination with Claude Monet’s Water Lilies murals stems from their sublimity and historical weight. For Jonathan, Monet’s gift of the murals to the French government after World War I embodied a spirit of community—a receptacle for learning in our artistic sphere.
The exhibit
A luminous legacy
Among the evening’s guests was art patron Rosita Lara “Otty” Lumagui, managing director of WWRS Philippines Inc. and founder of Bocca restaurant, the event’s food sponsor.
“I’ve long admired Romulo Olazo’s oeuvre, and I’m delighted that his son, Jonathan Olazo, has forged his own luminous path rather than simply lingering in his father’s shadow,” she said. “Jonathan has a distinct voice, his art is daring and personal. His reinvention of Claude Monet’s vision opens fresh avenues of form and perception.”
“What’s more,” she added, “his creations oscillate between a vigorous masculinity and a delicate femininity, entirely dependent on the viewer’s register and interpretation.”
The artist’s gratitude
As the program closed, Jonathan thanked those who brought the exhibition to life.
“It’s an honor to have you here,” he said. “We’re deeply grateful to all who helped us prepare this exhibition.”
The exhibit continues at Alliance Française de Manille, 209 Nicanor Garcia Street, Makati City, through November 15. Visitors are encouraged to experience how light, in Olazo’s hands, becomes not only a subject but a story—one that bridges Paris and Manila, art and life.
Art enthusiasts all: Present at the opening of Light Receptacle Café were Olazo friends Kenji and Amanda Yuchengco; Sheila Paras, publisher of PhilStar Life; Rosita Lara “Otty” Lumagui, managing director of Worldwide Resource Solutions Philippines Inc. and founder and CEO of Bocca; Lisa Tinio-Bayot, founder of Binhi Literacy Foundation; curator Lyn Olazo; featured artist Jonathan Olazo; Dr. Eric Zerrudo, executive director of the NCCA; Olivier Dintinger, executive director of Alliance Française de Manille; Jorell Legaspi, senior director of Ayala Museum; and Arch. Michael Liwanag of the UP College of Architecture.