About the Event
Looking at Roger “Rishab” Tibon's paintings is like stepping into a fantasy world. Suffused with vivid colors and striking imagery, his canvases are populated by human figures, fanciful creatures and random elements that spark awe and curiosity.
Rishab's creative process and inspirations are intuitive as is his choice of colors. “I on’t maintain a palette and I don’t consciously follow any rules of conventional color harmony. I just open my mind and let ideas flow freely and grab whatever it is that interests me at the moment,” he explains.
This free-flowing technique is reflected anew in his current works. Rishab contends, “I don’t like the idea of knowing beforehand what my final piece would look like. I like the feeling of surprise each time I finish a painting. Sometimes, I’m left with a pleasant feeling without getting any logical explanation for the painting. And, sometimes, I also get amused if there is some kind of a 'profound' meaning I sense behind it.”
However, Rishab tries to resist the temptation to “intellectualize” his paintings. He also avoids labeling them as belonging to one particular style although some have described it as “mild contemporary surrealism.”
“I like this style because it's not so straightforward. It uses elements or themes that engage the minds of viewers and invite them to interact with the paintings. It inspires me when people say my paintings are serious but at the same time playful, pleasant to look at and not so hard to understand and appreciate. I'm happy with my works,” Rishab enthuses.
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
Born in Aklan in 1960, Roger “Rishab” Tibon lived an itinerant life growing up before deciding to settle in Baguio City in the mid-1990s. It was there that this self-taught artist blossomed. His paintings have been featured in group and solo exhibitions in the Philippines, and in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia and Japan. Rishab has also made a name for himself as a nature artist, making installations using plants and natural materials. He has been invited numerous times to do site-specific environmental art in Taiwan and South Korea.