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Tatong Recheta Torres, "Untitled (Diptych)", at Art Informal

The invitation said be there at six, and I thought I’d be fashionably late. I arrived close to seven pm, wondering if I could get away with not strictly following the Filipiniana dress code. I need not have stressed. I got there to find the venue in darkness, tons of people jostling about in the sidelines, trying to get past usherettes standing guard, preventing guests from crossing the red cordon that ringed the venue. Apparently, the ribbon had yet to be cut. Music blared from a stage at the far end where song and dance numbers were going on. Was this an art fair? The crowds could but peer at the pieces on display as tempers flared. Incredibly, this state of affairs continued for an hour and a half, until the last politician had given what sounded like filibuster from a privilege speech. Only then did the lights come on. A surreal, truly chaotic, Only in da Pilipins, tableau unfolded on the vernissage of our city’s sole art fair.

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Lynyrd Paras, "Tatay"

When Lynyrd Paras decided to pursue an art degree, he didn’t win parental approval immediately. Like most parents, Lynyrd’s wanted him to study something practical, enroll in a course that would help him secure steady employment. Lynyrd, however, remained steadfast.

Lynyrd Paras, "Alas Sais Pitong Misteryo"

Lynyrd Paras, "Dapat Alam Mo Kung Kelan Dapat Takpan"

Albert Avellana, of Avellana Art Gallery, spotted Lynyrd’s talent even then. To encourage the artist to stick to his art degree, Albert would include Lynyrd’s paintings in the gallery’s group shows. This helped defray the cost of Lynyrd’s materials.

Lynyrd Paras, "Lagi Laging Wala"

We all know that Lynyrd has since reaped the benefits of all his hard work. His first solo exhibit–his thesis show at CCP in 2007–brought him to the attention of the folks at TAKSU in Singapore and Malaysia. Lynyrd has since become an art world darling; collectors jostle each other at auctions and gallery exhibits for the chance to acquire his soulful portraits. With his success came a busy schedule, one that had not given him the chance to come back to where it all began for him—until now.

Lynyrd Paras, "Si Kuya Levin"

Days When Blood Are Tears marks Lynyrd’s first major reappearance at Avellana Art Gallery since his student days. For this exhibit, Lynyrd does portraits of his immediate and extended family. That he uses the people closest to him as his subjects seems so appropriate given that the show signifies a return home. Lynyrd intimated that his works for this show flowed naturally, that he enjoyed completing them because he felt that he knew each of his subjects very well.

As in the past, faces dominate Lynyrd’s paintings. They are superimposed on layers of figures and text. I thought Tatay, his grandfather’s portrait, was the strongest

Lynyrd Paras, "Papa Yel"

piece in the show. Manila audiences, however, are ready to see Lynyrd push the boundaries of his repertoire further. We are eager to see him take his talent to other avenues.

Days When Blood Are Tears runs from 4 to 31 December 2010 at Avellana Art Gallery, 2680 FB Harrison St., Pasay City. Phone (632) 833-8357