Inside David Kaufman’s Approach to Abstraction

Marble and steel come together in United We Stand and Silent Force, two sculptures featured in Paleta Minima at Kambal Gallery. The works offer a look into the artist’s approach to abstraction and how his experiences continue to shape the way he creates.

Words Mariz Shane Linsangan
Photos courtesy of Kambal Gallery
September 24, 2026

David Kaufman’s United We Stand at Kambal Gallery

Sculpture comes naturally from years of working with stone and other building materials. Over time, that experience became part of his own art and design language, giving him a familiar starting point from which to explore new forms.

“I’m just creating my own method, a new method of doing things,” Kaufman says. “Because I'm fascinated with building materials and construction, this is my art and design language.”

That idea comes through in United We Stand and Silent Force, where the contrasting qualities of marble and steel meet. Rather than simply presenting the materials as they are, the works explore how their forms and textures can create something new.

“It’s not a far departure from my 30 years of experience,” he explains. “I even made art with stone, with wood, with all kinds of construction tiles. So now my worlds are coming together.”

David Kaufman and Kambal Gallery co-founder Irene Haagen

Kaufman’s approach to abstraction is also influenced by the places he sees. Through travels in Spain, Italy, England, and India, as well as his exploration of heritage architecture in the Philippines, he began noticing forms that appeared across different places. “Those experiences convinced me that abstraction already exists in nature,” he shares.

That way of looking extends to the materials he chooses. He works with “unused, unloved, and disregarded” factory offcuts, giving pieces that might otherwise be forgotten another life through sculpture.

In United We Stand and Silent Force, the works become more personal. The sculptures serve as reminders of his life journey, business, and travels, bringing those experiences into the new forms he creates.

For him, it is not necessarily about creating something from nothing. It is about looking at what is already there and finding another way to see it.

Paleta Minima runs from September 16 to 29 at Kambal Gallery, Park Triangle Mall, Bonifacio Global City. See the works in person before the exhibition closes.