Reason is the natural organ of truth, imagination is the organ of meaning. Imagination, producing new metaphors or revivifying old, is not the cause of truth, but it’s condition.
— CS Lewis
My work lies between the cross hairs of design and art, where snippets of life’s truths are expressed, illustrated and made a little more clear. The imagination is the vessel of creativity that I hope to jumpstart in every individual.
When I was a child, I was always intrigued by marble and the veins they had. I would find pictures in the grains for fun, much like one would when staring at clouds and finding shapes within them. Like these scenarios, as my objects sit in their designated places, with the story I give, my hope is you build upon its story glance upon glance, alone or shared with others.
My exploration of what pure imagination is and thought continues, finding sign posts in the pockets of life. Find it in the forms and concepts. Find it in between your interactions with the the world my objects reside in.
Lilianna Manahan finished her Foundation Studies in Art and Design at Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design in 2004 and completed her BFA Industrial Design degree at the University of the Philippines. She later on worked with Kenneth Cobonpue as part of his research and design team. In 2012, Lilianna began her own design practice under her own name, Lilianna Manahan. In 2014 she was awarded as one of the six Rising Asian Talents at the first Maison et Objets Asia.
Her work has been described as alternately whimsical or industrial, depending on the objects she designs. The study of process to highlight a craft and craftsman runs central in her work. In the past, her work had a range of materials but now is focusing on metal, stone, and ceramic, sometimes doing the finishes herself. The size of her works and installations run from the minuscule to large-scale. Her pieces pay attention to details, whether in their functional or artistic elements.
Lilianna works and resides in Manila, Philippines.
