By Cedie Lazaro
Destruction is the ultimate form of preservation. In his first solo exhibition, YAKISUGI, premiering at APHRO, acclaimed Filipino designer and environmentalist Milo Naval turns devastation into high art. By subjecting raw timber to scorching flames, Naval channels the Japanese tradition of Yakisugi—charring wood to shield it from decay. The result is a striking, deeply emotional collection that proves beauty isn’t just born; sometimes, it must be forged in the fire.
The Art of the Scorched Earth
“Fire transforms us,” Naval states. For three years, he experimented in secret, seeking a sustainable, chemical-free way to protect wood. He found his answer in the ancient, natural ritual of charring, but as a designer, the appeal was also aesthetic: “I am partial to black.”
While the design world often favors sterile perfection, Naval embraces the unpredictable anatomy of ash. The intense heat coaxes out deep fissures, unpredictable textures, and a velvety, obsidian sheen. YAKISUGI is a deliberate rebellion against the mass-produced, elevating the imperfections of scorched wood into a luxury conversation piece.
When Geometry Tames the Elements
The exhibition is a brilliant exercise in tension, pitting the chaos of nature against the rigid discipline of human design. Naval captures the volatility of atmospheric forces—fire, rain, lightning, and wind—and traps them inside strict geometric grids.
He masterfully pairs a highly tactile palette of primal and industrial materials to represent nature in flux:
- Charred Wood & Wicker: A dark testament to fire’s dual capacity to destroy and immunize.
- Sculpted Glass: A frozen mirror capturing the liquid precipice of rain and weather.
- Galvanized Steel: Industrial grids built to immortalize the passing of volatile seasons.
A Serendipitous Collision at APHRO
Great design requires a playground, and YAKISUGI found its perfect match through a streak of cosmic timing. When Tina Fernandez, founder of Artinformal and APHRO, first saw Naval’s charred masterpieces, she recognized their “quiet power.”
In a twist of creative fate, mixed-media artist Christina “Ling” Quisumbing Ramilo walked into the gallery that very same afternoon. Drawn instantly to the raw, visceral texture of Naval’s work, Ramilo signed on to curate the show on the spot.
Photo by Mk De Dios for Stylish Magazine
The Playground of the Avant-Garde
Hosted within APHRO’s soaring, 160-square-meter gallery at The Alley at Karrivin, the exhibition benefits from a space explicitly designed around Jungian archetypes. It is a venue built for drama, presence, and creative rebellion. For the next month, this architectural cavern ceases to be a mere showroom—it becomes an active ecosystem where the elements come to play.
Watch our interviews with Milo Naval and Tina Fernandez here:
Exhibition Details:
- Show: YAKISUGI by Milo Naval
- Curator: Christina “Ling” Quisumbing Ramilo
- Venue: APHRO, The Alley at Karrivin, Chino Roces Ave. Extension, Makati
- Dates: July 21 to August 22
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