Maximalism is nothing new to Filipinos who, for fear of empty spaces, love to fill up their homes. But a visit to the residence of artists Cesare and Jean Marie Syjuco reveals a maximalist but offbeat approach.
Their style goes beyond the trademark capricious layering of textures and patterns, and a hardy and eclectic mixture of eras, styles and atmospheres. It’s a cerebral experience.
“As artists, they wanted their personal works prominently featured in the décor, which were items they had collected over the years and some new stuff. I did a lot of editing, though,” says Leon Alberto Sibal, landscape and interior designer.
Bold structure
The boldness of the structure, designed by architect JA Narciso, and the solid materials of brick, stone, glass, aluminum, stainless steel and glass, complement the strong pieces of the owners. From the outside, the glass curtain stairwell makes a statement. On the inside, the surrounding mirrored wells reflect the glass curtain wall to bring in more light. The stairwell does the function of connecting the rooms.
Jean Marie explains that the house incorporates green design. “The house is bright. The architect applies passive cooling. We use heat shields such as thermoplastic roofing, which repels 97 percent of the heat. We installed a Solahart heater on the roof for hot water.”
Sibal compares the decor style to the aesthetics of literary and multimedia artist Cesare Syjuco. He points at the “Balatkayo ni Mang Kusing” installation, a picture frame hinged on a glass case with a motley of antique medallions and stampitas, as an example.
“The house is like that—full. He didn’t want a main focal point, which is typical in decor. He wanted many focal points so that there’s something to look at everywhere. I wanted to bring in the outdoors by putting artificial trees inside the house. You get an unobstructed view of the garden because there are no shades.”
Mixed media
Initially, multimedia and performance artist Jean Marie tapped Sibal because of his grasses. He ended up doing the entire landscape and subsequently the interiors. The garden evokes a wild tropical lagoon balanced by the meditative statues of their Buddha collection and made intellectual by flashes of cryptic words in neon lights or etched glass.
The robust architecture is softened by yellowbells and Japanese podocarpus trees, golden bottle brush, round tanglad, red talahib, bottlebrushes and tall citronellas.
“When people ask us to describe our works, we say, you have to experience it,” says Jean Marie.
At the entrance, the couple is represented by their pieces. Jean’s “Kite” artwork, resembling abstract wings on acrylic on canvas, immediately grabs the visitor’s attention.
“The work is like the Transformers. You disconnect them and change their position,” she explains.
Glass reflection
Contrasting the stone textures, a glass sidewall, lined with balls, is inscribed with Cesare’s poetry. The wall not only provides a view of the pocket garden, shaded by a giant pandan tree. The neon letters “Itnava” are flashed on the brick wall. When reflected on the glass wall, it spells “Avanti,” which means forward.
“You feel the poetry as you look, read and move in space. Its glass reflection makes you realize it’s philosophical,” explains Jean Marie on her husband’s work. Syjuco’s Literary Hybrids, poetry set on backlit panels and multimedia backgrounds, are omnipresent in the house. His artworks actually pull in all the decor elements in vignettes.
The house is abundant with antiques, which Jean Marie attributes to her mother-in-law’s passion and their own.
“When we were young, we would eat out a lot. We realized we wouldn’t see the money anymore. So we started investing on earthen jars and Buddhas,” she says.
Inspired by the latticework of Japanese Shoji doors, the mirror wall in the foyer features Cesare’s verses. The wall is background for a giant jade dragon in nephrite jade, Jean Marie’s stone. Their Tang horse and other Orientalia are juxtaposed with Jean Marie’s multimedia work, “I am the shadow of wax wain/slain by the false azure of the windowpane,” made of plastic mirrors and stickers with egg-shaped stones and branches.
Lush landscaping
Beneath the mirror-clad, stainless-steel stairwell lies two water pyramids and a sandbox adjacent to Cesare’s Literary Hybrid. A wooden sculpture of legs is encased in a glass box, etched with his poetry: “Are these yours? I found them in my bedside closet….”
One one wall, a backlit tarp holds another work, “My friends are weird. My friends are birds. My friends are weird birds.”
What makes it interesting is that poetry is surrounded by reflective surfaces of glass and water. These echo back the poetry, thereby creating a quiet dialogue.
“The installation is essential to the experience of the literature,” says Jean Marie. However, the tightness of the space makes it challenging to capture it on camera.
The idiosyncratic juxtaposition of styles gives the house a fresh look. Cesare’s cutouts are placed atop a gilt bronze Buddha and a Chinese Cizou stoneware jar. Jean Marie’s installation of a Paete-carved Buddha with lightbulb on his head is set by a shelf filled with Murano glassware, Fu dogs in ceramic and gilt wood, antique Chinese bronzes and a glass-and-twig vessel of dried flowers.
In the den, a Tibetan lacquered cabinet is composed with a black leather chair and Cesare’s Lightbox art. It’s quite common to see the mid-century designer leather chairs with Chinese antiques.
The kitchen by the lanai is a showcase of maple cabinetry and counters made of Maritaka granite, which is mined in Brazil and polished in Italy.
Another highlight
The landscaping is another highlight of the house. The living room faces a mini lagoon composed of water plants, wild curly ferns, rare palms, balete, ardesia berry shrubs, spathyphyllums, violets and flowering vines covering Montalban stones. A marble Buddha holding children lends a feeling of serenity.
Though small in size, the adjacent garden is decked with tree ferns, philodendrons, spider lilies, a bingabing tree, pink and white tabebuia flowers, fukien tea shrubs and bluebells.
There are bonsais of red balete and bantigue arranged with Chinese elms, kaimito and guava trees. At night the fragrance of kamuning fills the air. It is fitting that a neon pyramid lights up with the message “God Speaks to Cesare.”
A Buddha placidly meditates under a giant takip asing tree that hovers by the pool. “This grows wild in the Calabarzon. The large leaves form a canopy. I hope more Filipinos discover this tree and use it for private landscaping,” says Sibal.
“At night the house is cozy but dramatic because of the neon colors—red, blue, yellow and violet,” says Jean Marie. “Visitors comment on our unusual combinations, but they work.”
