Visual artist and poet Maxine Syjuco considers “My Inner Sanctum,” opening on Aug. 12, her most intimate yet.

“Art, to me, is more than just the final outcome,” she said. “It’s an entire creative process that’s extremely personal. From the moment the work is conceptualized, to the point when it’s completed, the whole experience—including the environment in which it takes place—is as much a part of the work as the finished result. My goal, therefore, is to encapsulate the true intimacy of art as an experiential journey where the artist’s studio plays an integral role. In this exhibit, I open the doors of my studio and invite viewers into my inner sanctum both figuratively because the pieces are confessional tapestries of my soul, and literally because the venue is my own private studio where my restless imagination runs wild and free.”

Syjuco received the Editor’s Choice Prize at the Magnum Photography Awards in London, United Kingdom. She won the Independent Music Awards in New York City for three consecutive years, Syjuco has exhibited her art and performed in numerous venues here and abroad. —CONTRIBUTED

“My Inner Sanctum” will run until Sept. 15 at Art Lab: Atelier Cesare and Jean Marie Syjuco at 327 Country Club Dr., Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City.
Tel. 0917-5340779; email [email protected], [email protected]; Visit www.facebook.com/artlabmanila.