By: Miguel Mosuela

Makati Cinema Square would be one of the quirkiest places a typical Filipino could find themselves into. Along with numerous thrift shops and countless choices of food stalls that serve affordable meals, it’s also home to a variety of specialty shops that sell unique and unusual stuff, not to mention the people that frequently go here. You would probably think that this kind of complex from years ago would not be an ideal place for fancy art exhibits.

Of all the years that I have come and gone here, little did I know about such things – now I know why they call it Underground. We were invited by our good friend and seasoned artist Lynyrd Paras to attend his exhibit named “Scars”; and upon arriving, we were quite puzzled thinking that we were in the wrong place. It was usually quiet so you would instantly hear the radio playing from some of the shops. Walking a little further, we heard the songs of Joy Division playing, and I clearly remember how Lynyrd was telling me how the band greatly influenced his art so we went on to follow where the music was playing from.

When we finally got there, the space was full of food and drinks. There was a huge crowd and two other exhibits. But even from a mile away, we already knew which exhibit was Lynyrd’s. On a nutshell, everything was nothing short of impressive.

Framing a number of provocative but indicative pieces of art, the exhibits were settled at the highest floor of the square, blasting music from other iconic rock bands and musicians like Gorillaz, The Clash, Cindy Lauper, and the like. It was enthralling and lively with the gallery being filled with lots of people, and it was evident that everyone was having a good time.

Photos by: VinceKids

“Scars is about the people”, Lynyrd explains when I asked about the theme of his exhibited works. “Each and every piece of my work represent a moment and experience of my life.”

Every piece used mixed mediums, with most of them using paintings on frames as its base. It is obvious how the art was deconstructed in order to show the dissonance on his work – and how beautiful it is. “I call my works scars because I believe that every person has gone through a similar experience, and this proves that we all are human” he says.

If you haven’t seen it yet, don’t worry because ‘Scars’ run until May 26. We can’t even stress how you all shouldn’t miss the chance to see the exhibit and have an incredible art experience.

Now what will be his next endeavor? Will he host an art show in a parking lot basement? Will he use mediums not often used for his next collection? Is he going to start making his merchandise and put his art on clothes? We can’t wait to see what he will do next even if we are not certain what it is.

But what we do know is it will surely blow your mind.