The oil portraits of Lynyrd Paras are studies in distress. Aggression and tension are unmistakable in the smeared faces, screaming mouths, cryptic words carved into the surfaces, and black nothingness that sometimes covers half of a canvas. Even the frames are not immune to the Filipino artist’s wrath and are often painted over or sawed into pieces.
菲律宾艺术家 Lynyrd Paras 的肖像油画作品深入探讨了痛苦的情感。污迹斑斑的面孔充斥激烈的情绪与张力：呐喊的嘴巴、表面印刻的秘文、占据半块画布的黑色空无……甚至连画框本身也像在发出愤怒的嘶吼：画框四分五裂，颜料也溅出画框之外。
For Paras, this work is a therapy of sorts. “There’s a feeling of freedom when I paint,” he explains. About six years ago, he struggled with crippling anxiety and suicidal thoughts. “At one point I wanted to die, and because of that, I painted whatever I felt like. I think my art benefited from it.” But even after recovering, his art remained just as dark. What was different was that it became a darkness that he could harness and command. “While working, I’m the boss of my painting. I can control the canvas. It can’t dictate what I do to it.”
对于 Lynyrd 而言，创作的过程是疗愈的过程。他说：“作画时我会有一种自由的感觉。”大约六年前，他有着严重的焦虑和自杀倾向。“我曾经一度很想了结生命，在那种情绪下，我毫无保留地把自己的想法画了出来。可能这也是我能画好作品的原因吧。”然而，康复之后，他的作品仍然保持着这种黑暗的风格。不同的是，那变成了是他可以驾驭和控制的黑暗。“下笔时，我就是这幅画的主人。我可以控制画布的模样，而不受制于他人。”
Paras grew up in Manila, but because of his mental illnesses, he relocated to Laguna, a province to the east of the city. There, he has fewer distractions, which allows him to focus on his art. But with his face tattoos and all-black attire, he often stands out. “The local churchgoers don’t like me too much,” he says with a grin, flashing his metal teeth.
The aggression Paras unleashes through his art isn’t for everyone, and he’s alright with that. “People used to say it was too depressing, too personal; even today, I think collectors don’t show my works at home. They just store them away,” he laughs. “You can’t please everyone.”
Lynyrd 在马尼拉长大，但由于严重的心理问题，他搬到了位于马尼拉东部的一个省，拉古纳（Laguna）。那里没有太多干扰，他可以专心投身创作。但他脸上的纹身和全黑服装，还是常常引起他人的关注。“当地那些虔诚的信徒都不太喜欢我。”他咧着嘴笑着说道，露出抢眼的金属牙。
并非人人都懂得欣赏 Lynyrd 在作品中释放的愤怒，但他并不介怀。他笑着说：“以前人们常说这样的画太压抑了，太个人化了；即使是现在，我想大概也不会有收藏家会在家里把我的作品挂出来。他们最多只会将它们藏起来。但毕竟，你也不能取悦所有人。”他说道。
The recent success of the art scene in Manila is undoubtedly a boon for artists’ careers here, but Paras is worried that it stifles experimentation, that artists too frequently stick to doing what sells. “People are very talented now, since it’s very easy to learn with technology and to access tools,” he says. “But you really had to dig to learn before all this. There used to be very few galleries. It’s good for artists’ livelihoods, but it’s not necessarily good for nurturing true creativity.”
近年来，马尼拉艺术界蓬勃发展，这对当地艺术家的事业来说无疑是一件好事，但 Lynyrd 担心这会扼杀实验性的创作，艺术家反而会倾向于创作更好销售的作品。他说：“现在的艺术家都非常有才华，可以借助各种科技，也有很多工具可以用。但在创作之前，每个人都应该先进行深入的挖掘和学习。过去这里的画廊很少。现在的情况是，艺术家谋生更容易了，但真正的创造力却未必能培养起来。”
At age 37, Paras has been painting longer than many of his peers in the Philippines, creating counterculture artwork long before the local gallery scene started blooming. “I think I’m lucky I found myself before the internet,” he says, adding he hopes younger artists will look beyond the art bubble. “Don’t look at other artists’ work, look at the world. Get firsthand information. Take inspiration from your surroundings or yourself.”
现年 37 岁的 Lynyrd，步入这一行时间大概比菲律宾的许多同龄艺术家都要久，早在当地画廊兴起之前他就已经在创作反主流文化的作品。他说：“我觉得自己挺幸运的，能在互联网兴起之前找到自己的创作风格。”他希望年轻的艺术家不要把目光投在市场泡沫上，“不要只顾着看其他艺术家的作品，而是去看世界，获取第一手的信息，从周围环境或自己身上寻找灵感。”
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Website: www.lynyrdparas.com
Instagram: @lynyrd_paras
Contributor: Mike Steyels
Chinese Translation: Olivia Li
