Echoes and Conversations
Through figurative and abstract work, Rachel LeRoux captures the fleeting moments of presence and transformation that define our human experience.
Words Gerie Marie Consolacion
Photos courtesy of Rachel LeRoux
February 07, 2026
A canvas slowly comes alive under the touch of Rachel LeRoux’s brush. It is in these in-between moments, between intention and instinct, structure and freedom—that her art finds its rhythm.
Her latest exhibition, Echoes and Conversations, is more than a showcase of figurative and abstract work; it is a reflection of a life lived in duality and a meditation on the spaces we inhabit, both physical and emotional.
LeRoux, a British-Filipina artist and trained interior architect, grew up straddling two worlds.
Featuring artist Rachel LeRoux
“I wasn’t British enough for my English family and not Filipino enough for my Filipino side,” she recalls. “It felt like I had to choose, even when I didn’t want to.” That tension shaped her earliest creative impulses, fostering a sensitivity to contrasts that would later define her practice.
“There is structure in my figurative work and looseness in my abstracts. Always a mix of two contrasting elements. None of it was planned. It’s simply the way I’ve learned to be.”
Her formative years in London left a distinct mark. “London shaped me in ways I didn’t expect. It was fast, tough, and it pushed me into adulthood real quick. It comes through in the structure, the intention behind each series, and the way I approach each piece with purpose.”
LeRoux’s artwork from Conversations titled ‘A Gentle Undoing’
Manila, where she has lived for sixteen years, offered the opposite: space to breathe, explore, and experiment. “It’s the place where I’ve grown into myself as an adult and as an artist. Being here gave me room to explore what my work could be.”
This duality of place, culture, and career—is central to Echoes and Conversations, which unfolds in two interwoven themes: Echoes, the lingering presence of the human form, and Conversations, the dialogue between movement, material, and intuition.
Echoes: The Lingering Essence of the Form
LeRoux’s artwork from Echoes collection titled ‘What Is Beyond This’
The Echoes series invites viewers into the subtle poetry of the everyday. Here, the female form is not merely a figure on a canvas but a vessel for memory, emotion, and the traces left behind in a room, a gesture, a breath.
“Honouring the female form means paying attention to what’s real…Even in stillness, there is a trace of motion. That’s what I try to catch,” LeRoux explains.
Vulnerability and strength coexist in her depictions, reflecting her belief in the authenticity of the in-between.
LeRoux’s artwork from the Echoes Abstract collection titled ‘Golden Halos in the Night Sky’
“I let both vulnerability and strength show up without choosing between them. That’s usually where the most honest version of her, and myself, emerges.”
A dropped shoulder, a swaying fabric, a paused gesture—these are the moments that carry the invisible weight of experience, the echoes of a life lived fully and quietly.
Conversations: When Instinct Meets Material
LeRoux’s artwork from the Conversations collection titled ‘Learning to Love the Woman I’ve Always Been’
If Echoes is about presence, Conversations is about motion. LeRoux’s abstracts emerge from fragments—leftover paint, remnants of her figurative work, the traces of creative energy repurposed into something wholly new.
“It usually starts simple. From there, I follow what feels natural. No big plan, no overthinking, just letting the piece renew itself and move in its own direction.”
Her architectural background silently structures this intuition. “Architecture gave me a way of thinking. It taught me to break things down, understand why something works, and question what doesn’t. I still rely on that, but painting feels different, more intuitive. I follow what feels right rather than what follows a plan.”
LeRoux’s artwork from the Conversations Abstract collection titled ‘This Could Breathe’
The interplay between control and surrender is central to her process. “There was a figurative piece where everything felt too controlled. I just stopped and painted the whole canvas black. The whole energy shifted, and the marks took over naturally, turning it into an abstract piece. It turned out exactly as it needed to.”
These spontaneous moments reflect her philosophy: art is not only about creation but also about renewal, the constant rebuilding of self and form.
Life Between the Lines
LeRoux’s artwork from the Echoes collection titled ‘She is Like the Ocean’
LeRoux’s artistic journey mirrors the duality of her life. She trained in London, worked for over a decade in interior architecture, and returned to Manila to focus fully on painting. Each stage informed her understanding of space, texture, and atmosphere.
“Interior design trained me to see space intentionally. That awareness carried over without me realizing it. I became more conscious of how a piece makes someone feel rather than how it looks.”
Her work resonates internationally, with exhibitions in London, San Francisco, and Manila. Audiences respond differently depending on their context: London’s reserved reflection, San Francisco’s emotional openness, and Manila’s intimate familiarity.
LeRoux’s artwork from the Conversation collection titled ‘Softened Edges’
“Showing internationally taught me to be more open and confident. Manila teaches me the value of community and consistency,” she reflects.
Yet her ultimate goal is less about audience recognition than about offering a space for reflection. “I hope they feel that the in-between stage is honest. That it’s where we soften, where we become, and where we bloom. If my work can make someone feel seen in that space, that’s enough.”
A Vision Beyond the Canvas
LeRoux’s artwork from Echoes titled ‘Undone’
LeRoux’s practice is a quiet catalyst for cultural discourse. She imagines a future where art and life intersect seamlessly, beyond traditional institutions: “I’d build a gallery with a residency programme and simple live-work studios by the ocean. The aim wouldn’t be to build a big institution, just quiet, intentional spaces where people can slow down, think clearly, and share their work. This is the dream. Now is the time to manifest!”
In Echoes and Conversations, Rachel LeRoux offers more than painted forms and abstract gestures; she offers an invitation to inhabit the liminal, the transformative, and the profoundly human spaces between what was, what is, and what might yet be.
