Renaissance Art Gallery proudly presents Streamlined II: The Art of National Artist Arturo Luz at the Art Center in SM Megamall, marking the second installment of this celebrated exhibition.
Curated by artist and critic Cid Reyes, Streamlined II honors the legacy of Arturo Luz, showcasing his lifelong dedication to refined design and a disciplined approach to color and form.
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As early as 1951, acclaimed art and literary critic Recaredo Demetillo praised Luz’s work, writing, “His forms are alive and distinguished; he understands abstraction and austerity, the sense of space and balance… he is a real artist.”
Luz began painting at the age of 17. His first piece—a portrait of his mother, interior designer Rosario Dimayuga Luz—reflected his early interest in the purity and simplicity of form. Declared a National Artist in 1997, Luz would go on to develop a unique visual language shaped by influences like Mexican modernist Rufino Tamayo and Swiss artist Paul Klee, whose idea of “taking a dot for a walk” inspired Luz’s signature use of linear movement.
Luz is best known for his stylized depictions of cyclists, musicians, and circus performers, as well as serene still lifes featuring jars, ceramics, and shells. His art embraced minimalism, and his limited choice of subjects allowed him to explore spatial balance and elegance through restraint. He often experimented with materials—using burlap, laminated plywood, and even broken tiles for a church mosaic. Over time, he moved toward pure abstraction, creating bold collages that focused on form, surface, and visual harmony.
In the 1980s, Luz’s travels across Asia and India inspired a new body of work. These pieces reimagined landscapes with temples, palaces, and fortifications rendered in monochromatic lines and earthy hues like mustard yellow, cardinal red, and burnt sienna.
Beyond painting, Luz played a vital role in shaping Philippine art institutions. He led the Luz Gallery, Museum of Philippine Art, Metropolitan Museum, and the Design Center of the Philippines, steering the Filipino aesthetic from vibrant excess to refined simplicity.
A special monograph designed by Dopy Doplon with photography by Wig Tysmans will be available during the exhibition.
Streamlined II runs from June 3 to 16 at the Art Center, 4th floor of SM Megamall Building A, located at the corner of EDSA and Julia Vargas Avenue in Mandaluyong City.
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