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Born in Calapan, oriental Mindono, Demi Padua (b.1977) is a Filipino artist whose work playfully engages with trompe l’oeil techniques to present the varying visages of his childhood imagination and fantasies. Having studied Fine Arts at the Far Eastern University, his artistic style can be said to draw its origins from traditional, figurative drawings, though not without an idiosyncratic twist. Dabbling with collage and using the language of abstraction, Demi revels in the use of mixed media.

 

For Demi, there is excitement from the first layer, where he puts the print, followed by the succeeding layers of drawing and painting. His creations also give a tri-dimensional effect achieved through meticulous brush strokes and lines - the boxes in his paintings convey his message of “nonadherence to boundaries, his love for freedom and thinking out of the box.” He believes he will always find a connection to his artwork, from the brush he uses to the brush strokes he creates. He is meticulous yet free in his colours, and will not give in to inhibitions in his style.

 

Padua has won a slew of awards, including the Grand Prize in the 2013 Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tanaw Art Competition, and the AAP, GSIS Museum and Metrobank awards. His work has also been showcased at a plethora of exhibitions and fairs throughout Asia and North America.