Noted for his flair in designing luxury interiors, designer Antonio “Budji” Layug has now expanded his repertoire to include fine art.

Written by Tedrick Yau
April 28, 2023

Noted for his flair in designing luxury interiors, designer Antonio “Budji” Layug has now expanded his repertoire to include fine art. He has been painting for decades, often integrating them in his exclusive interiors, but has only recently started exhibiting his works. Mr. Layug‘s last shows were at the B&B Italia showroom in 2021 and at Manila House in 2022.  

Layug’s creative journey has spanned decades and his work intersects disciplines. He is known for his pioneering and holistic approach to design, and his seamless integration of spaces, together with his perennial exploration and use of natural materials. His iconic bamboo collection, simply labeled “BUDJI” caught the eyes of international buyers and brought recognition to the Philippines as the first furniture designer to be shown internationally.

In partnership with DF Art Agency, “Enter the Dreamscape” encompasses the breadth of Budji‘s oeuvre from fantasy landscapes to cockfighters, waterfalls, and completely abstract paintings. This is Layug’s first official one-man show with 34 major works on display at Leon Gallery International. The works are thickly impastoed acrylic on canvas in large formats. They possess a vigor and energy that belie his years. The paintings surprise and delight with their fearless color combinations and arresting compositions.

With his paintings, the artist is freed from all practical constraints and lets his imagination free rein.                                                          

The artworks are portals into dreamscapes of unknown rivers, cascading waterfalls, fantasy orchards, or watery depths. Gestural brushstrokes suggest cockfighters or totemic dancers appearing and then receding into abstraction. But it is in his large, drip paintings that Budji the artist comes into his own. All the excitement and energy in the act of painting result in masterfully modern works that border on chaos yet find balance and harmony, nonetheless. The eye follows the process, thus including the viewer in the creation of the work of art.

“Enter the Dreamscape” will be on display at Leon Gallery International, Makati from April 28 to May 11, 2023.