A spiritual journey through art

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Coeli Manese paints God in abstraction

THE GOAL of abstract expressionist painter Coeli Manese has always been to make people pause, reflect, and reconnect with their own spirituality.

For Ms. Manese, her artworks represent the eternal guiding light of faith. This is why, at the Conrad Manila hotel, 20 of her works have been put together in an exhibit titled The Light That Never Goes Out for guests to peruse and enjoy.

As part of the hotel gallery’s “Of Art and Wine” series, the collection offers a glimpse into Ms. Manese’s world of vibrant color, texture, and emotion, a result of her own periods of reflection.

“It’s all deeply personal, born from my journey of faith, exploration, and creative expression inspired by biblical teachings,” she said at the exhibit launch on July 15. “I’d gone through sadness and depression before I started painting this collection.”

Ever since “the light came out” after she emerged from that time of darkness, the ideas behind the works for the exhibit also came to light.

“Throughout my journey, the light was there. Sometimes you don’t see it because of distractions and all, so that’s the reason that’s the title,” she added.

Though Ms. Manese started painting as a child, her adult years following a career in hotel sales and marketing saw her explore different artistic outlets — ceramics, pottery, even photography. Realist painting was her last stop, until she discovered abstraction.

She told ����ý that Helen Frankenthaler was her inspiration for abstract painting.

“I tried imitating her works and, from there, I developed my style, which has more vertical and horizontal lines. Abstraction for me, in that first work I did, had a strong connection,” she said.

For Ms. Manese, that moment made her decide that abstract painting was truly for her. “It’s because of the colors. When you paint abstract, the colors just come out. It’s a discovery, and there are changes year after year; the colors evolve.”

Of Art and Wine: The Light That Never Goes Out is on view at Conrad Manila’s Gallery C until Sept. 13. — Brontë H. Lacsamana