Artist
From Manila, Philippines
Based in Sydney, Australia
Loribelle creates paintings that draw on her experiences of living in the Philippines and Australia and the comparison between them. Her works reflect the attitude to painting of play and experimentation
A: Please, tell us a bit more about yourself. What brought you into art?
L: I was a very creative child, preferring to work on my scrapbook and create sculptures than to play outside. It was very natural for me to move towards a career in this field. When I entered university, I wanted to become an art teacher, but once I graduated, I began to paint, and that was the end of all other plans.
A: What inspires you the most?
L: This is an evolving subject, but these days, I'm inspired by literature, reflecting of my childhood experiences, and internet culture.
A: Do you have any specific rituals while working(creating)?
L: My practice has always been quite flexible and adaptable, whether it is the space I'm painting, or the materials I use, but the thing that never changes is that I need to be listening to something other than my own thoughts. Music, podcasts and audiobooks are an integral part of my practice.
"Intuition is indispensable for an artist. Learn to hone and sharpen it by exposing yourself to a dynamic variety of stimuli."
A: What would you recommend to someone who's new to art (whether artist or just an admirer), what to begin with?
L: Intuition is indispensable for an artist. Learn to hone and sharpen it by exposing yourself to a dynamic variety of stimuli. Keep experimenting and exploring different ways of visually expressing ideas and experiences, and above all, no matter what you create, always do it at the highest level of quality.
A: Your top 3 words related to art?
L: Reflect. Engage. Play.
A: The best angle to look at art is from ...?
L: An open mind.
A: The perfect phrase to start any conversation about art is: ...?
L: "I saw this the other day..."
"The true painting, in its stubborn independence, cannot do this, except coincidentally.."
A: Must-read books to help us talk about art (or do we even need them)?
L: In high school I was given The A-Z of Art by Libby Anson and Nicola Hodge, and before the internet, I would obsessively browse it from cover to cover. Before that, a family friend gave me a book on da Vinci and the another on the Impressionists. I was addicted to those books — that is, to the pictures.
I don't think a specific book necessarily matters, but it does matter to come across such books at all. Speaking for myself, I still remember the feeling of a seed being planted in my mind when I was exposed to the images.
But depending on what kind of 'talk' you want to have about art, a book may not be the thing to help. Seeing art in the flesh is the only way to experience it.
A: If you could change one thing in the art world - what would it be?
L: The commodification of art makes it possible for me to have the job that I do, but it comes at a cost. When art costs millions, I believe something is lost along the way.
A: Please, share your favorite quote (not necessarily related to art).
L: "Admire me is the subtext of so much of our looking; the demand put on art that it should reflect the reality of the viewer. The true painting, in its stubborn independence, cannot do this, except coincidentally... He still has not discovered anything about the painting but the painting has discovered a lot about him." Jeanette Winterson
Thank you!