Lilo Gutierrez's Ethereal Vision

Lilo (center) with Cid Reyes and the late Dr. Rod Paras-Perez

Kudos Lilo to your first solo exhibit! One year in the making, 29 artworks.

Lilo has always been interested in embroidery. When she was 9 years old, she was already making her own Barbie dresses; she started knitting in college and then ventured into quilts when she got married. She said that "I hand quilted my daughters quilt coz the ones in the market were no good." This must have prompted her to design and manufacture high quality quilts which were sold locally under the brand "Dreams" and exported abroad as "Quiltex".

A fine arts and interior design graduate of the University of Santo Tomas, Lilo trained in water color painting under Dr. Rod Paras-Perez. I guess she did the conventional thing - this is to get married right after college and poured out her artistic skills in her quilt business. Because it was only years after, in 2004, when she came out as an artist and participated in the exhibit called Ode to Pasig. The exhibit showcased 56 artworks, representing various visions of the river by 30 Filipino artists and seven architects.

Lilo produced three artworks for the show; her Serena sa Pasig or Mermaid in Pasig (left) was inspired from the tale of a mermaid at the foot of the Pasig River. When I saw her work, I was impressed by her detailed and painstaking handiwork. Imagine the work involved from painting on fabric as delicate as silk, the patchworks, and embroidery with tiny tiny tiny beads.

Singer Christine Carlos described Lilo's work as follows "Through the tactile process of quilting, Annatha patches together her imaginative visions. Her choice of soft, muted, opalescent colors such as lavander, amethyst purple, old rose, pink, aquamarine, sea green, sky blue, periwinkle and moss green lends a mysterious and magical touch to her paintings. Her imaginative figures, the soothing, tasteful colors together with her delicate brush strokes and the gentle, watery application of her paint all come together in creating her succulent dream world of Ethereal Visions."

Artist and art critic Cid Reyes said during the exhibit opening "Without having met the artist... immediately concluded that a very feminine touch is at work.. There is a sensual feeling of pleasure one feels about the elegance of the work. First the innovativeness possibly of the ingenuity of a medium that is not the usual watercolor or oil paint and it is really very charming. And of course the art of embroidery which is traditionally ascribed to women...The woman's touch is very much present and there is a masterful handling of embroidery as a medium. I like the fact that the images are transporting to some kind of a magical, fairytale land..... congratulations to your first show and certainly this should not be the last. We look forward to more works from Lilo."

Check out Lilo's "Ethereal Vision" a collection of Silk paintings, quilted and beaded, inspired by the celestial, outworldly, air, light and the delicate. The exhibit is ongoing at Riccio Renzo Gallery at LRI Bldg., 210 Nicanor Garcia (formerly Reposo), Makati until April 8, 2009.