It was, as Snoopy would start once again his attempt to write his novel, “A dark and stormy night.” Summer was all but a memory and the rains had just begun to pour in.
Around a square table for eight nestled in the middle of spacious tropical-themed veranda, my friends and I engaged in nonstop topics.
The animated conversation eventually drifted to the arts as one shared, “I heard from other friends that a certain John Paul Duray has an ongoing exhibit called — but please don’t laugh now — Boop-Boop or something like that!”
“It was exhibited in one of the hotels in the Resorts World complex,” she continued.
“Which one? Are you certain?” another responded. “You might be misinformed, because he has a show right now at 1335/Mabini Gallery — sculptures with fruits as their heads.”
I remained silent, yet cautiously nurtured a plan. I had past conversations with Duray for he created the eight-foot sculpture of Saint Benilde Romançon, the patron saint of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, prominently displayed at the college’s newest The Atrium campus.
And so, when the opportunity presented itself, I reached out to the sculptor himself to straighten the facts.
“Actually, there were two distinct exhibits, which were ongoing at the same time! Both your friends were right,” he laughed.
This spurred my visit to the exhibitions, one after the other.
Entitled Me and You, the show walked viewers through Duray’s days as a struggling barista who had to set aside dedicated break times for his passion in the arts. From latte art and fruit carvings, he eventually took the leap of faith and transitioned as a professional sculptor, not without its own set of challenges.
His initial project in 2016 was rejected by several art galleries, which further motivated him to reach his goals. He soon gained recognition for his Banana Man sculpture, which came to him in a dream. This catapulted him to the limelight, where he continues to receive projects and commissions.
The 1335/Mabini showroom had its share of 14-inch sculptures from Duray’s Saging Lang Ang May Puso collection, all human bodies with various fruits such as pineapples, bananas and strawberries as their heads.
This was complemented by Lucky Mouth! — bust-up figures of fruit heads.
Each piece rested on a black base with fruit patterns, all elevated on a yellow pedestal.
The next stop was the Newport Mall-Seum at Resort’s World Manila, which played host to Boop-Boop: The Spoiled Brat!
The exhibit featured a collection of 24-inch toddlers carrying giant lollipops, with a gaping mouth at its stomach. Composed of cast marble and automotive paint, these are surreal interpretations of the Santo Niño.
Each piece had a hand-picked solid color, such as Seaweed, Grape, Coral, True Blue, Mint, while three pieces sub labeled How to hide the pain were a mixture of Red and Yellow, Orange and Yellow and Black and Yellow.
An artist to watch, he is definitely someone who has only just begun. Remember the name: John Paul Duray.