Leslie de Chavez
Bio
Leslie de Chavez (b. 1978, Manila, Philippines, lives and works in Tayabas / Lucban, Quezon, Philippines) is a crucial art activist for the Philippines, whose works are both widely sought by patrons and respected by his peers. He has been widely recognized for his incisive and sensible forays into history, cultural imperialism, religion, and contemporary life. Responding to urgent material conditions through his deconstructions of master texts, icons, and the symbols of his times, de Chavez strikes a balance between iconoclasm and an affirmative outlook to the relevance and accountability of art to one's milieu. Leslie de Chavez has held several solo exhibitions in the Philippines, China, Korea, Singapore, UK, and Switzerland. He has also participated in several notable exhibitions and art festivals, which include the Singapore Biennale, Singapore (2013), Asian Art Biennale, Taiwan (2011), Nanjing Trienniale, China (2008), First Pocheon Asia Biennale, South Korea (2007). A two-time awardee (2010/2014) of the Ateneo Art Awards for Visual Art, Leslie de Chavez is also the director/founder of the artist-run initiative Project Space Pilipinas, in Lucban, Quezon.