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 I examine snippets of what makes life beautiful mostly found in the everyday and the mundane.
When I was a child, I found myself drawn to the works of authors and artists who drew up their own worlds. I was intrigued with how these imaginary worlds spoke the truths found in reality. This led me to find stories in my own experiences, much like the way one finds pictures while starting at clouds. Like these scenarios, as my objects sit in their designated places, with the stories they hold, my hope is you build upon its story upon every glance and give you that daily dose of wonder.
My exploration of pure imagination and wonder continues, finding sign posts in the pockets of life. I find it in forms and concepts. I find them in experiences and stories translated into elements reflected in my own universe.
Photo: Joseph Pascual Photography
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, Diliman.
In 2012, Lilianna began her own design practice under her own name. In 2014 she was awarded as one of the six Rising Asian Talents at the first Maison et Objets Asia, and in 2018 shortlisted as a nominee in the Ateneo Art Awards.
Her work has been described as alternately whimsical or industrial, tiptoeing between the line of art and design. The study of process to highlight a craft and craftsman runs central in her multidisciplinary work. In the past, her work had a range of materials but now is focusing on metal, paper, 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.