Cover ‘Filipino Piso’ by Henri Lamy, 126 x 72 cm, acrylic on canvas (Photo: courtesy of Henri Lamy)
‘Filipino Piso’ by Henri Lamy, 126 x 72 cm, acrylic on canvas (Photo: courtesy of Henri Lamy)
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Redefining value and visibility, Henri Lamy is making a highly anticipated return to the Philippine art scene with a solo exhibition opening on March 20 at the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA)
Few narratives are as complex or as vibrant as those of Filipino women artists. From the silent resilience of indigenous matriarchs to the revolutionary fervour of historical icons, the female identity in the archipelago is a spectrum of fortitude. It is this very spectrum that French painter Henri Lamy seeks to illuminate in his highly anticipated return to the Philippine art scene. After a five-year hiatus, Lamy presents Sovereign Faces, a solo exhibition opening on March 20 at the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA).
Coinciding with Women’s History Month, the exhibition is poised to be more than just a gallery of portraits; it is a philosophical inquiry into value, power and the “colonial gaze”. Lamy, born in Lyon and celebrated for his dynamic fusion of capoeira and painting, has long been fascinated by facial expressions and those deemed to exist on the margins of society. However, with Sovereign Faces, he moves beyond mere representation to challenge the very infrastructure of how we assign worth.
At the heart of the exhibition lies a provocative question: who deserves to be the face of a nation’s value? Lamy addresses this quite literally through his “reimagined” numismatic works. The collection features pieces such as The Reimagined 1000 PHP Bill and The Thai Baht Reimagined, wherein traditional male figureheads are replaced by female sovereigns.
“Every human being enters the world through a woman; we owe them our lives,” Lamy explains when discussing the genesis of this series. “While women often play the most decisive roles in developing communities and nations, they are frequently absent from the ‘official’ symbols of power.”
Read more: Henri Lamy: Painting the World
Above The artist in the middle of his capoeira painting session (Photo: courtesy of Henri Lamy)
The artist in the middle of his capoeira painting session (Photo: courtesy of Henri Lamy)
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He reveals that this fascination began in Bangkok in 2014, where he first conceived the idea of replacing the King with the Queen on the Baht—a concept deemed too controversial for display at the time. “That spark remained,” Lamy reflects. “By using currency—the most literal representation of ‘value’—I am placing female and indigenous figures at the centre of national worth.”
The exhibition bridges the gap between the hyper-visible and the unseen. Lamy places Corazon Aquino, inspired by the first female president of the Philippines, in dialogue with the Mangyan Girl, a tribute to the indigenous youth of Mindoro. For Lamy, this juxtaposition is not a contrast of power, but a harmonisation of it.
“Pairing a figure like Corazon Aquino with a Mangyan Hanunuo woman is a deliberate act,” says the artist. “A political leader navigates through rules and measures, but an indigenous population holds the ancestral ‘keys’ for our survival.”
He argues that if modern society had retained the animist values of these ancestors, the environmental crises of the last century might have been averted. “There is a shared sovereignty in their gaze—a quiet power,” Lamy asserts. “I treat both faces with the same reverence.”
Above ‘Gabriela Silang’, 104 x 104 cm, acrylic on canvas (Photo: courtesy of Henri Lamy)
‘Gabriela Silang’, 104 x 104 cm, acrylic on canvas (Photo: courtesy of Henri Lamy)
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This reverence is deeply personal. Lamy’s wife, Maïa d’Aboville—herself a subject in the exhibition—directs the d’Aboville Foundation, which works tirelessly for the preservation of Mangyan culture and the Tamaraw. Witnessing this advocacy firsthand has fundamentally shifted Lamy’s perspective from that of an observer to a participant.
“Colonialism fundamentally strips away land sovereignty,” Lamy admits, acknowledging his background coming from a historic colonial empire. “My art is an attempt to ‘give back’ to the dispossessed by shifting the perspective... It’s about moving from a gaze of ‘ownership’ to one of ‘honour’.”
Visitors to ILOMOCA will recognise Lamy’s signature style—a heavy usage of lively colours, creative composition and the inventive use of the palette knife. However, the stillness of portraiture in this collection belies the kinetic energy of its creation. Lamy is renowned for combining painting with capoeira, the Brazilian art form that merges dance, rhythm and movement.
Read more: The Man and Woman Behind Taverne Gutenberg
Above ‘Hanunuo Mangyan’, 30 x 30 cm, acrylic on bangka wood (Photo: courtesy of Henri Lamy)
‘Hanunuo Mangyan’, 30 x 30 cm, acrylic on bangka wood (Photo: courtesy of Henri Lamy)
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“My capoeira practice is inseparable from my growth,” Lamy shares, recounting a childhood memory of his grandfather’s illness, which compelled him, at age four, to walk on his hands to find a different perspective. “In Sovereign Faces, that physical energy manifests in the ‘first flickerings’ of paint. The portraits may appear still, but they are born from high-energy movement.”
To demonstrate this visceral process, Lamy will stage a capoeira painting performance on March 21, the day after the opening. It is a practice he views as a “dialogue between two players,” a conversation through movement that he and Maïa have performed worldwide.
The visual language of Sovereign Faces also speaks to the fragmented nature of modern identity. Works like Black iPhone and Young Noble incorporate geometric patterns and contemporary artifacts, reflecting a life lived between cultures.
“This multifaceted style was born ten years ago from my own expatriation,” Lamy notes. “Living between France and the Philippines, my identity felt constantly decomposed and reinforced by travel. We are all ‘in-between’ different states.”
Above ‘Maïa’, 60 x 120 cm, acrylic on canvas (Photo: courtesy of Henri Lamy)
‘Maïa’, 60 x 120 cm, acrylic on canvas (Photo: courtesy of Henri Lamy)
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This global perspective has not only influenced his canvas but also his community work. In 2015, Lamy and d’Aboville founded Taverne Gutenberg in Lyon, a creative hub that hosted over 40,000 visitors and 400 artists. This mission to democratise art continued in Manila with Ugnayan sa Poblacion.
“The ethos of Taverne Gutenberg has blossomed into larger, more systemic projects,” Lamy says, highlighting new ventures like Le Chalet du Parc in Lyon, which repurposes a historic mansion for cultural use. “I bring this same spirit of accessibility to ILOMOCA; I view this exhibition as a living dialogue with the Ilonggo community, not just a static display.”
Lamy’s return to the Philippines is anchored in trust—specifically in Maricel Montero, with whom he previously collaborated at Museo Pambata. He cites Iloilo’s “blossoming art scene” and ILOMOCA’s forward-thinking leadership as the ideal environment for this new chapter.
As he looks toward the future, with upcoming travels to Thailand and Japan and a show slated for Hoang Beli Gallery in Paris in 2027, Lamy remains rooted in the Philippines, specifically Mindoro.
“This exhibition at ILOMOCA marks a definitive shift toward more socially and politically charged themes,” Lamy concludes. “I am moving toward a practice that doesn’t just capture a likeness, but explores the deep-seated sovereignty of the subject.”
Sovereign Faces runs from March 20 to June 1 at the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art. It is a rare opportunity to witness an artist who is not merely painting faces, but rewriting the history written upon them.
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Before assuming the Art and Culture Editor position, Franz has always had a penchant for visual and performing arts. He is passionate about exploring and writing about the local cultural scene and rediscovering the country’s storied past and rich heritage. Besides working on this luxury lifestyle magazine, Franz is an avid book reader, local traveller, museum-goer, chorister, and community theatre playwright.
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Franz earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Santo Tomas. He writes about local visual and performing artists and their craft; drinks wines, liquors, and spirits and talks about the creativity of their respective winemakers and master blenders; tries to learn more about business and investments; respects the tradition and artistry that go behind the making of watches and jewellery; and appreciates the genius of architecture and creative design.
As head of Tatler Philippines’ pool of writers, he helps them bring impactful and socially relevant stories to light.
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