Bio

Gregory Halili (b. 1975, Manila, Philippines; lives and works in Manila) is an artist specializing in the intricate art of miniatures. He meticulously carves and paints mother-of-pearl shells, creating memento moris that capture contemporary concepts of memory, life, death, and cycles. Recently, he has broadened his practice to include miniature oil paintings. Transforming capiz shells into canvases, he delicately presses them to their most fragile state, nearly reaching the point of breaking. These thinned-down, glass- like pieces, featuring paintings of butterflies and moths on the reverse, offer a reflection on the intricate and fragile state of the environment and the future. After 25 years in the United States, he returned to the Philippines in 2013.

His work has appeared in numerous exhibitions and shows, including the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin; The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio; The Hammond Museum and Sculpture Garden in Salem, New York; Ayala Museum in Makati City; Jorge B. Vargas Museum at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City; West Gallery in Quezon City; Silverlens in Makati City and Nancy Hoffman gallery in New York. In 2016, Halili presented at the Singapore Biennale. Halili received his B.F.A. from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Gregory Halili (b. 1975, Manila, Philippines; lives and works in Manila) is an artist specializing in the intricate art of miniatures. He meticulously carves and paints mother-of-pearl shells, creating memento moris that capture contemporary concepts of memory, life, death, and cycles. Recently, he has broadened his practice to include miniature oil paintings. Transforming capiz shells into canvases, he delicately presses them to their most fragile state, nearly reaching the point of breaking. These thinned-down, glass- like pieces, featuring paintings of butterflies and moths on the reverse, offer a reflection on the intricate and fragile state of the environment and the future. After 25 years in the United States, he returned to the Philippines in 2013.

His work has appeared in numerous exhibitions and shows, including the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin; The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio; The Hammond Museum and Sculpture Garden in Salem, New York; Ayala Museum in Makati City; Jorge B. Vargas Museum at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City; West Gallery in Quezon City; Silverlens in Makati City and Nancy Hoffman gallery in New York. In 2016, Halili presented at the Singapore Biennale. Halili received his B.F.A. from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

San Miguel at Demonyo
2006
726
1
watercolor on vintage ivory
2.56h x 2.26w in • 6.5h x 5.75w cm
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Constellation XII
2007
728
1
watercolor on paper
1.50h x 1.75w in • 3.81h x 4.45w cm
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Nuestra Senora
2008
727
1
watercolor on vintage ivory
2.17h x 1.57w in • 5.5h x 4w cm
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Memento Mori I
2014
733
1
oil on mother of pearl
9.06h x 8.27w in 23h x 21w cm
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Renewal (comet I)
2021
9970
1
mixed media
88h x 46w x 26d in • 223.52h x 116.84w x 66.04d cm
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Memento Mori XI
2014
734
1
oil on mother of pearl
8.27h x 8.27w in • 21h x 21w cm
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Pearl Divers II
2018
745
1
oil on mother-of-pearl, aluminum
2.5", 3" and 3.75" diameter
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Karagatan (The Breadth of Oceans)
2016
744
1
oil on mother of pearl shell and oil on pearl (set of 50)
diameter 2.54 to 5 cm (each); installation dimensions variable
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Singapore Biennale 2016: An Atlas of Mirrors Installation view
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Echo 2
2016
735
1
giant clam, oil
18h x 10w x 7.50d in • 45.72h x 25.40w x 19.05d cm
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Portrait of a Shell Vendor I
2017
741
1
oil on mother of pearl
4.5 in (dia) • 11.43 cm (dia)
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Untitled VI
2018
743
1
oil on mother of pearl
1.75h x 2.50w in • 4.45h x 6.35w cm
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Untitled IX
2018
739
1
capiz
5 in (dia) • 12.70 cm (dia)
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Phenomenon
2016
736
1
corals, wood
23h x 75w x 9d in • 58.42h x 190.50w x 22.86d cm
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Searching Sanctuary
2020
740
1
oil on capiz shell
3.25h x 2.25w in • 8.26h x 5.71w cm
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Sorrow (Lady of Pearls)
2017
737
1
oil on mother of pearl
Variable dimensions
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Deep End
2020
738
1
oil on shell
2.50h x 3w in • 6.35h x 7.62w cm
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Selected Exhibitions

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