Coming from your well-received exhibition at the Asia Now Paris, how do you feel exhibiting in Venice?

It’s different stages of complicated feelings, actually. There’s being super confident, there’s a major fear, minor fear, there’s all the paranoia. . .happiness, a lot of doubt, and being just grateful. And you know, jumping into the unknown feels like this. I’m very sensitive, clearly, but mostly, the blind trust in the best way possible coming from Elizabeth Royer and Rivoli Fine Art is inspiring.

Can you tell us how this Rivoli exhibition became possible? How did you meet Elizabeth Royer and the people behind the gallery? How did they come across your work, and what did they say about it?

It was Rivoli Fine Art first. Jeff Cadayong, heading the gallery, saw my Instagram stories while I was working on my solo show back in 2022 for Leon Gallery International (LGI) with Jaime Ponce De Leon, Derek Flores, and Lisa Guerrero Nakpil when he asked if I wanted to join the 8th edition of Asia Now Paris happening on October that year. Luckily, after my successful solo with LGI, I also got in after the gruelling selection process of Asia Now in August of 2022. When I did my second solo exhibition with Rivoli Fine Art at Asia Now, art dealer and curator Elizabeth Royer discovered my work. She asked if I was interested in doing my third exhibition in Venice at the Palazzo Barbaro this September 2023. Well, I couldn’t quote them what they said exactly, but in their interest in my work and support to mount my shows, I think they have said enough.

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Can you tell us more about the title of this show?

A misfired synapse is a very complicated term actually that’s why I felt like it’s the title I wanted to use. The new works I painted are comprised of lines and colours forming ambiguities that your brain actually is trying to formulate. I followed my hands freely moving around the space of the raw canvas, and used old mailman burlap sacks stretched on linen canvas. It’s always hard to define a show with words. It’s an easy manipulation if you know how to navigate. I started by thinking about which is the best way to be able to explain what my work is about, and regressing brought me to mistakes. . .mistakes brought me to neurotransmitters that don’t coincide. It’s really bizarre.

For me, misfired synapse means coalescing to recount the stories of human frailty, resilience, and the perpetual search for equilibrium.

What do you want the viewers to appreciate in the relationship between your works and Italy?

Hard work. Observation. Regression.

What recent events in your life led you to the making of these works for this exhibition?

It’s hard to define and put into perspective. One can always just assume.

What kind of experience do you aim the viewers to have after seeing this exhibition?

I really don’t want to spoil things by explaining too much or leading them too much. The audience will either move on or feel something.

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