It’s an adage that art aficionado and space curator Glenn Cuevo lives by: “Everything that takes up space deserves respect”. Cuevo doesn’t believe in clutter because of this. Instead he believes that everything you bring home should be intentional. His Makati home carries this philosophy clearly.
A walk into his Makati condominium shows a carefully curated and impressive collection of art and furniture. Sculptures by the masters – a steel Arturo Luz and a rare Bencab – welcome guests in the receiving area right outside of the elevators. For Cuevo, art goes beyond its beauty. “Art is a creator of emotions. It shouldn’t just be beautiful. It should be able to communicate something to the viewer,” Cuevo says.
His home has a prominent black and white theme with an electric red Bencab metal sculpture by the entrance flanked by Orlina glass sculptures in rich aqua. A black and white painting by Romulo Olazo creates a vignette with another Arturo Luz metal sculpture on the side and a pair of Cesar stools designed by Rodolfo Dordoni.
Every object in his home evokes a feeling within Glenn Cuevo and is a revealing portrait of who he is. The living area makes space for a curvilinear sofa designed by Zaha Hadid. It’s placed on a burgundy red carpet by Studio Soliven’s latest collaboration with Pia Wurtzbach. “I call my style streamlined contemporary. Everything I do is with precision,” he explains. “The placement of the furniture really is very important because if you put it in the right space, the beauty of the piece comes out. The same is true with paintings.”
Off to the side, Cuevo created a quiet corner with a minimalist painting by Fernando Zobel and a leather Metropolitan armchair designed by Jeffrey Bernett. “Each area has to have their own personality,” he says. A long painting behind the sofa by Lao Lianben has black and white strokes with what seems to be a human figure and a curious red dot on one side – the same shade of red found in the carpet or Bencab’s metal sculptures.
Cuevo’s breadth of knowledge in art and design is deep and shows in the vignettes he creates in his home. The hallway to his room follows you through his collection of art by Japanese artists – a sculpture by Akiko Nakaya, a quiet pencil drawing of a teacup by Izumi Akiyama and a graffiti-like painting by Hashimoto Yutaka. A turn leads you to another hallway with large black and white portraits of Yayoi Kusama and Andy Warhol facing each other. At the far end, like an altar, is a Bernard Pacquing on a plinth – a rolled pillow held by a metal c-clamp.
Glenn Cuevo urges you to know more about the artists as well. Don’t just purchase art because it’s the trend or because it might be a good investment. If possible, try to forge a relationship with the artist – talk to them, read up on them, find out their process. “You gain a different dimension or facet of the artist that they want to share with you. Sometimes it’s very personal. You’ll have a different appreciation of the work of the artist as well. It will have more depth because you understand the philosophy of the artist. The experiences shared to you by the artist affects how you view the artwork.”
Read the full article on the home of Glenn Cuevo by ordering your copy of BluPrint Volume 1, available via the sarisari.shopping website, Shopee, and Lazada. E-magazines are available for download via Readly, Press Reader, and Magzter.
Photographed by Jar Concengco.
Read more: History and Patriotism Within
Public spaces in Metro Manila are often defined by movement rather than pause. People in transit hurry through; the underpass is a shortcut, not a place to stop. Underground, the installation by photography group FotomotoPH, reimagined the Paseo Underpass as a visual experience. FotomotoPH is a Philippine-based photography collective dedicated to promoting, exhibiting, and fostering […]
Born and raised in San Pablo City, Laguna, Ito Kish made a name for himself through residential and commercial design, as well as curatorial work. This new season, built on the idea of Filipino Culture Meets Global Curiosity, unfolds both as a composed showroom environment and a new collection shaped by stillness and balance. A […]
Breaking through in their respective careers is a daunting task for any young professional. For Architect Pierre Briones, architecture has always been an intentional pursuit. Having spent much of his childhood around construction sites, Briones’s environment shaped his interest in architecture, including his fascination with how structures and buildings are built. “Choosing architecture was never […]
Not many people know this, but during the Martial Law era, National Artist for Architecture Bobby Mañosa was also a toy designer. He had an iconic line of toys, called “Bobi Toys,” that he sold in Makati during the 1970s and 1980s, which he discontinued as his own kids grew older. His toys have not […]
Cloud Grey Gallery put together two esteemed artists, Manuel Ocampo and Ronald Ventura, for Dialogo. As a gallery located at the Grand Hyatt Manila, Cloud Grey has a more forward-thinking approach to contemporary art movements at the time. “They’re provocations,” the gallery declared as they described their approach, “invitations to see the familiar transformed.” For […]
Ivarluski x Bitagcol, a pop-up store at Power Plant Mall, showcases the new collaborative fashion line from the two Filipino designers, as they seek to expand their design horizons and update their aesthetic hallmarks for the present day. The collaboration came about as the two designers, Ivarluski Aseron and Jo Ann Bitagcol, discussed their attraction […]
