Lubin Nepomuceno

b. 1971, Philippines

Lubin’s artworks are his response to his present surroundings. As a Filipino artist who relocated to Kobe, he seeks to honour the city, which is often recognised as the ‘first site’ for much of Japanese culture and development. But in a country where space, materials, and ideas are compacted to ‘fit in’, Lubin felt challenged to create something different, so that he could createa new space to inject his own art style – bold, colourful and generous in the use of medium.

A teacher himself, Lubin has taught students to capitalise on their knowledge of the basic art to create something new that ‘fits in’ – by arranging the elements in a way that feels steady and balanced to convey their intent and style. In his “Kobe” paintings, the artist used oil paint as the basic medium. As with the Japanese way of working, each work was deliberately planned and meticulously executed, building on extreme balance and accuracy. Thick tube paints overlap with injected loops and swirls in a precise distribution of visual elements to emphasise harmony and stability within each piece of work. The “Kobe” series thus encapsulates the artist’s own idea of ‘firsts’ – an essential and amusing movement in his art making.

Lubin obtained a degree in sculpture at the University of the Philippines. His has held solo exhibitions at the West Gallery, Philippines (2016). He also exhibited at the Art Stage Singapore in 2015, Taipei at the Art Fair Kaohsiung in 2016 and Art Expo in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.