Paintings of tropical warmth and beauty find a place in Paris

THE healing power of art helped many people cope during the stressful peaks of the pandemic.

For tea sommelier-turned-painter Rachel Ngan Dueñas, assisting others maintain their peace through tea meditation left her in need of a calming pastime of her own.

This led her to painting impressionist works inspired by the glimpses of beauty around her — some of which will be exhibited at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, France, this October.

“A lot of people think that I’m a genius in my craft or that I always wanted to be an artist. But no, hamak na ordinaryong tao lang ako (I am simply just an ordinary person),” she told BusinessWorld.

“When the pandemic happened, I was doing tea meditation for people. It got overwhelming and I started painting. They were ugly paintings, but I didn’t mind because it was for me.”

HEALING HOPES
From creating works for herself, Ms. Dueñas eventually started gaining recognition for her developing style, which blends abstraction and impressionism to depict the colors and textures of nature.

Three solo shows since she first picked up the paintbrush in 2021, it was her work as a tea sommelier that brought her to the doorstep of an unlikely opportunity. The setting: Paris Fashion Week 2023, where she conducted tea meditations for stressed designers backstage amid the chaos of the fashion industry’s biggest event. The kind benefactor: Junever Mahilum-West, Philippine Ambassador to France, who was in awe of her paintings.

“The ambassador said she found my artworks beautiful and told me that they can help me out. I said that, as an up-and-coming artist, it would be an honor to exhibit in Paris in the future. I didn’t know back then that the opportunity would be the (Carrousel du) Louvre,” said Ms. Dueñas.

The Carrousel du Louvre — an underground art shopping mall near the actual Louvre Museum and the adjacent Place du Carrousel public square — is known for its vibrant blend of gallerists and collectors allowing emerging artists to showcase their work. With the help of the Philippine Embassy in France, it has become a fine place for a Filipino artist to make an international debut.

Of the 5,000 works displayed there, three will be Ms. Dueñas’ paintings.

“My artworks are healing. They are my prayers; they are my hopes. I want them to go home to those who can resonate with that,” she said.

A TROPICAL HOMAGE
Art critic Cid Reyes has described Ms. Dueñas’ work as “seeming naive in execution, but quietly expressive,” which the artist considers high praise.

She said that her creative introspection often stems from negative self-talk. “You don’t wake up saying beautiful things or thinking beautiful thoughts. Even if I’m going through something, even if I don’t have anything positive to say, art translates the unpleasant into something beautiful.”

One interesting point to reflect on for her is the fact that she has been called an “old artist” for starting at the age of 36. “I never realized that that’s how people would see me,” she said.

Through brushstrokes that achieve a balance between abstract and impressionist styles, Ms. Dueñas hopes that her homage to Philippine tropical warmth and beauty will convey a sense of joy.

From the torture of facing a blank canvas to the release of finally putting color upon color to paint a calming picture, the goal is to create something relaxing — much like that of tea meditation.

“I want the Parisian audience to see the beauty of art inspired by the tropical flora and fauna of the Philippines,” she added.

Ms. Dueñas’ artworks can be seen at her ongoing fourth solo exhibit at Chef Jessie Rockwell Club in Makati until Sept. 30. She will then fly to France for the Carrousel du Louvre where her works will be seen from Oct. 18 to 20, with select works also on view at the Kwadro Pintura Gallery on Oct. 19 to 20, also in Paris. — Brontë H. Lacsamana