Picture a Thread
If there’s one thing Rey Labarento is, he is a man of stories. And so rich is his visual language that words are rarely necessary to transmit his ideas. Occasionally a t-shirt or some surface would have a word, or a phrase, or some numbers that mean something to both him — and to his viewers — by way of collective memory, nostalgia or the mundane daily. But the most important message perhaps, is something that runs deeper through his process.
Colorful squiggles often define his canvas. Unbeknownst to many, these are threads from the frayed edges of his canvas, painstakingly gathered, twisted and wound, then adhered to the canvas before meticulously painted over as if a ritual of completion. They form seemingly random lines, but these are more than that, as they stand for the playfulness, the innocence that Labarento holds dear. They might as well be shorthand for a variety of aspirations and subconscious wishes. Similar to his drawings that begin with an outline — without plans of how to fill it in – the bare threads provide a multitude of possibilities from an all-white surface.
In a way, the lines formed by his threads function similarly to the abstraction made possible by the Cubists. Imagine the distorted faces, but dialed back a bit — or actually, perhaps pushed even further. While he does not presuppose the multiple planes all at once visually, he indeed presents his subjects from different points-of-view. One might imagine Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” but rendered in Labarento’s signature style, as works are quite expressionistic — with vivid colors expressing emotion, but substitute the intense brushstrokes with threads. Indeed in the artist’s works, a sublime feeling rises to the surface amidst relatable depictions of people.
“Threadmarks” is a procession of faces among places. They are tributes to the humans of the everyday, be it someone he knows, a total stranger, or himself from a different time. Labarento is also a Negrosanon and a Filipino artist through and through, as can be seen in his choice of subjects. One might categorize his works as a contemporary version of “Tipos del Pais” (Types of the Country) paintings. Ubiquitous in 19th century Philippines, they depicted various inhabitants of the archipelago in their everyday clothing and activities, and were popularized by painters such as Damian Domingo, Jose Honorato Lozano, and Justiniano Asuncion. He carries on this tradition as he manages to negotiate a continued evolution in his style towards a globally-competitive identity. Interestingly, “Tipos del Pais” paintings went out of style as photography became widespread in the Philippines.
Across the works in “Threadmarks,” a keen eye would spot some texts in reverse. This is actually a low-key reference to the “art of the selfie” — probably one of the most definitive cultural legacies of this generation in terms of photography. While not all of the subjects take on this, it feeds into the bigger “picture,” so to speak. If one takes a look at all of the works in succession, it’s almost as if scrolling through a social media feed, or more specifically, someone’s online profile. You could say some are “profile photos” while some are in the “family album.” Some could be “throwbacks,” and some are random “stories” or “my day” kind of subjects. That’s actually quite uncanny, given that separately, the subjects and themes of the works could be seen as unconnected and random.
Labarento intentionally taps into that subliminal connection, making the threadmarks in his works a visual reminder that even if we seem so different, so detached — that we are all connected as human beings in the same world.
Francisco Jin Sung Lee, 2025
Rey Labarento captures the unpretentious gestures, mundane daily routines, and serene beauty of Valencia, Negros Oriental, through his easily recognizable depictions of its people and environment. Drawing and painting, utilizing a diverse range of materials, including paper, and terracotta, his signature embellishment of outlining thread highlights relatable scenes that elevate the everyday.
Labarento has actively exhibited domestically, such as solo presentations at Mugna Gallery and Shelter in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental and at Art Verite and Art Cube in Metro Manila. He has also been part of group exhibitions in Negros Oriental, Iloilo, Cebu, and Manila in the Philippines and internationally in Thailand. He lives and works in Valencia, Negros Oriental.
Picture a Thread
If there’s one thing Rey Labarento is, he is a man of stories. And so rich is his visual language that words are rarely necessary to transmit his ideas. Occasionally a t-shirt or some surface would have a word, or a phrase, or some numbers that mean something to both him — and to his viewers — by way of collective memory, nostalgia or the mundane daily. But the most important message perhaps, is something that runs deeper through his process.
Colorful squiggles often define his canvas. Unbeknownst to many, these are threads from the frayed edges of his canvas, painstakingly gathered, twisted and wound, then adhered to the canvas before meticulously painted over as if a ritual of completion. They form seemingly random lines, but these are more than that, as they stand for the playfulness, the innocence that Labarento holds dear. They might as well be shorthand for a variety of aspirations and subconscious wishes. Similar to his drawings that begin with an outline — without plans of how to fill it in – the bare threads provide a multitude of possibilities from an all-white surface.
In a way, the lines formed by his threads function similarly to the abstraction made possible by the Cubists. Imagine the distorted faces, but dialed back a bit — or actually, perhaps pushed even further. While he does not presuppose the multiple planes all at once visually, he indeed presents his subjects from different points-of-view. One might imagine Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” but rendered in Labarento’s signature style, as works are quite expressionistic — with vivid colors expressing emotion, but substitute the intense brushstrokes with threads. Indeed in the artist’s works, a sublime feeling rises to the surface amidst relatable depictions of people.
“Threadmarks” is a procession of faces among places. They are tributes to the humans of the everyday, be it someone he knows, a total stranger, or himself from a different time. Labarento is also a Negrosanon and a Filipino artist through and through, as can be seen in his choice of subjects. One might categorize his works as a contemporary version of “Tipos del Pais” (Types of the Country) paintings. Ubiquitous in 19th century Philippines, they depicted various inhabitants of the archipelago in their everyday clothing and activities, and were popularized by painters such as Damian Domingo, Jose Honorato Lozano, and Justiniano Asuncion. He carries on this tradition as he manages to negotiate a continued evolution in his style towards a globally-competitive identity. Interestingly, “Tipos del Pais” paintings went out of style as photography became widespread in the Philippines.
Across the works in “Threadmarks,” a keen eye would spot some texts in reverse. This is actually a low-key reference to the “art of the selfie” — probably one of the most definitive cultural legacies of this generation in terms of photography. While not all of the subjects take on this, it feeds into the bigger “picture,” so to speak. If one takes a look at all of the works in succession, it’s almost as if scrolling through a social media feed, or more specifically, someone’s online profile. You could say some are “profile photos” while some are in the “family album.” Some could be “throwbacks,” and some are random “stories” or “my day” kind of subjects. That’s actually quite uncanny, given that separately, the subjects and themes of the works could be seen as unconnected and random.
Labarento intentionally taps into that subliminal connection, making the threadmarks in his works a visual reminder that even if we seem so different, so detached — that we are all connected as human beings in the same world.
Francisco Jin Sung Lee, 2025
Rey Labarento captures the unpretentious gestures, mundane daily routines, and serene beauty of Valencia, Negros Oriental, through his easily recognizable depictions of its people and environment. Drawing and painting, utilizing a diverse range of materials, including paper, and terracotta, his signature embellishment of outlining thread highlights relatable scenes that elevate the everyday.
Labarento has actively exhibited domestically, such as solo presentations at Mugna Gallery and Shelter in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental and at Art Verite and Art Cube in Metro Manila. He has also been part of group exhibitions in Negros Oriental, Iloilo, Cebu, and Manila in the Philippines and internationally in Thailand. He lives and works in Valencia, Negros Oriental.
