Taguig City, Philippines — Nikulas Lebajo is celebrating his 35th year as an artist through a solo exhibit dubbed as “Rhythms and Vessels” for Rustan’s Galerie Bleue, which opened recently at the 5th Level of Rustan’s Makati.
For Nikulas, curiosity and a sense of exploration are his main inspiration. His new exhibit draws major inspiration from Moroccan earthenware and home goods such as plates, bowls and cups.
Winning the grand prize in the 1989 Shell National Students Art Competition, Lebajo has since become a staple in the local art circuit in the Philippines, exhibiting in spaces various prestigious art spaces. Through the decades, He’s had art shows at The Luz Gallery, Nunu Fine Art, Richard Koh Fine Art, The Drawing Room Contemporary Art, Gallery Big, Gallery Nine, West Gallery, Gallery 139, Crucible Gallery, Nuzen Art Gallery, Artes Orientes Gallery, Galerie Stephanie, Imahica Art Gallery and Museo Orlina, to name a few.
An ever-inspired and always learning artist, his consistency was recognized at the 1990 Metrobank Art Competition, and thrice at the Philippine Art Awards in 1994, 1996, and 2001. He’s been a constant too at the annual ManilART fair.
The ethos and themes within Nikulas’ work has also found resonances with international audiences, being exhibited in international locations like Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Dajeon, Shanghai and Taipei.
Nikulas considers his art practice a continuation of his father’s legacy– that of the master surrealist Raul Lebajo. Nikulas cites his father as a major force in his own pursuit of the artist’s life. The artist believes that “challenges will always come, whether you’re at your fifth or 50th year painting.”
He added, “What matters is to have a steady mind. The rest will follow.”
“I always scrutinize the finer details of what catches my interest,” he shared, citing how spontaneous visits to stores and antique shops piqued his interest in the “bright colors, intricate shapes, and geometric patterns of Moroccan design.”
Prior to this, Lebajo painted repetitions of still life bottles at his younger days, later moving on to surreal landscapes inspired by his cycling and meditation activities in and around South Luzon. He recently co-exhibited with his daughter, also an artist, in a father’s day themed show earlier this year.
In a way, his most recent fixation hearken back to his earliest days as an artist. Returning to a theme of repetition, where the same subjects are painted from different viewpoints, Nikulas notes how the practice of repetition reveals the “Zen-like power of the mind.”
Nikulas now synthesizes his past experiences and interests to make a cohesive new body of work. He acknowledges how challenges never stopped arriving, and how he saw them as opportunities to grow as an artist. Confident with the wisdom of the years, he shares how “more challenges will arrive, but it’s from the mind that one can draw strength.”
With his creativity and curiosity ever ablaze all while being seasoned by much life experience, Nikulas at 50 years of life and 35 years of art lights a trail of inspiration for young and young at heart creatives. He hopes more young artists continue to find their voice.
For updates, one can follow the artist’s official Facebook page at Nikulas Lebajo, Instagram page @nikulaslebajo, or inquire at 0995 464 2827, send e-mail at nikulaslebajo@yahoo.com.