SOMETIMES not often enough one gets the privilege to be part of an artist’s creativity. Well, not exactly part of the creative process but to be there first-hand and see the results of that creative process.
As Moi said, “sometimes not often enough” do we see the passion of an artist become something beautiful, tangible and useful (no pun intended).
And that’s exactly what happened on Thursday, Nov. 22 at the Bridge Link, Festive Mall of Megaworld’s Iloilo Business Park – a by-invitation only launch of TEXTURE, a one-man show by Edgardo Lopez Suelo, customized furniture and household accessories.
We’ll talk about Edgardo Lopez Suelo as an artist and a man, his passions and perhaps his politics, and what TEXTURE is about.
The brand is TABLON and TEXTURE is the customized furniture line. By that, you have one-of-a-kind furniture designed according to the client’s taste and preference.
One cannot get any more exclusive than that i.e. your bed or sofa just as you envisioned it.
And if that’s not interesting enough, let’s talk about the artist, designer and creator of the brand TABLON and its customized furniture line. Personally Moi prefers to call them bespoke furniture.
Bespoke furniture evokes an image of singular exclusivity akin to “The Great Gatsby” and “Downton Abbey.” Simply put, Über class.
And we segue to Edgardo Lopez Suelo who, just by being himself, is interesting enough, a highly successful international interior designer and man about town.
He is also an aspiring painter with a very successful one-man show in that genre under his belt:
“Bulak”, Heartbeats in Color which caught the art and social scene in “I Am Iloilo City” by storm. Even today, a year after, art collectors are still wanting for more.
Perhaps Edgardo is an “artist without borders”, not belonging to any “school of thought” which makes him quite singular, even an enigma in the art world. And in my book, the man has a “Sense of Style.”
Edgardo is not your typical “starving artist” as he exudes an aura of someone already up there. In other words he is your typical successful artist both artistically and financially.
I would love to talk about his politics and advocacies but not today, perhaps in another column, though he remains my personal choice to be the Mayor of “I Am Iloilo City.”.
So what about TEXTURE?
Just saying that it is a line of bespoke “one-of-a-kind” furniture and household accessories is not enough as one has to be there to actually see and feel every minute detail of Edgardo Lopez Suelo’s creations.
I was there and this is what comes to mind; something whimsical, soft and breezy that evokes a genteel lifestyle.
From sofa, cabinets, bed, tables and dividers they all have one recurring theme and that is “sitting on an easy chair in some resort by the beach with a glass of cold Chablis feeling the cool ocean breeze.”
All the furniture pieces have subtle or subdued accents of seashells and feeling their “texture” and overall effect, one somehow hears the gentle waves and cool breeze with strains of reggae by Bob Marley.
That they’re all made of wood I somehow expected them to be made from “aged Mangrove trees” and “rescued drift wood” but that’s just the old romantic in me, although I never did get the chance to ask Edgardo about it.
TEXTURE will be in at the Bridge Link, Festive Mall, Iloilo Business Park from Nov. 22 till Nov. 27, meaning you still have until tomorrow to catch it and by the way, all the “one-of-a-kind” furniture pieces and accessories on display are already sold out.
Let me just park these lines:
We all have five senses and this refers to the five traditionally recognized methods of perception, or sense: hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste. And then there’s the sixth sense not all of us have. According to CNN’s Style with Elsa Klensch, it’s the “Sense of Style.” (brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)
