Siefred Guilaran’s (b. 1988) works are meticulously-rendered yet sparsely staged. His use of dramatic and expressive imagery as well as visceral symbolism as a conduit for both personal and universal narratives continuously astounds viewers. He creates works out of a compulsion to document both fleeting thoughts

and emerging foresight. Although some of his paintings can be loosely construed as social commentaries, he does not view art as a catalyst for the transformation of society or as having the ability in itself to make social change. Rather he sees it as a reflection which can be used as means to identify and delineate one’s own beliefs and views, stories, and personal histories.

Guilaran’s use of an extensive process to create the paintings itself is akin to a religious ritual. His methods are very artisanal and can be used to produce multiple variations of a single composition, but he intends on keeping the integrity of his vision by making each design one-of- a-kind. Seifred Guilaran is a graduate of Fine Arts, majoring in Advertising, from the University of Rizal System Angono. He has had 2

solo exhibits and numerous group shows from 2008 up until present.

Guilaran was a consistent finalist of the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence from 2012, 2013 and 2014, and was awarded a Special Citation from the same award body in 2016.