ARTIST’S STATEMENT 

My paintings are rooted in close observation of nature, focusing on landscapes, seascapes, cloudscapes, and florals. I am drawn to moments of transition—when light shifts, water settles, or form moves toward change. These fleeting intervals often carry emotional resonance, suggesting calm after turbulence, renewal after decline, or promise emerging from stillness. Working in oil, I build each surface gradually, emphasizing subtle tonal relationships, allowing light, texture and atmosphere to unfold over time. Rather than documenting specific places or objects, I use natural elements as metaphors for shared human experiences. Themes of duality recur throughout my work: permanence and change, motion and stillness, fragility and strength existing simultaneously within a single frame. Through quiet realism combined with impressionistic marks, I hope the paintings encourage reflection on resilience, change, and the complexity of natural cycles that are often overlooked. My intention is to slow the viewer’s gaze and invite sustained engagement, inviting viewers to project their own experiences onto the image. 

ARTIST’S BIO 

Manuel Sia is an artist and former interior architect whose paintings reflect a lifelong commitment to observation, craftsmanship, and disciplined creativity. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Santo Tomas, College of Architecture and Fine Arts in Manila, and spent decades working with award-winning architectural firms in New York City, Dallas, and New Jersey. His professional experience includes roles ranging from draftsman and renderer to project manager and senior associate - quality control officer. Manuel contributed to high-profile luxury retail projects, including Tiffany & Co. flagship stores in Las Vegas and on Wall Street, and participated in international design meetings with Hermes in Paris. These experiences sharpened his sensitivity to structure, light, proportion, detail and material—qualities that now inform his painting practice. His artistic journey began early with drawing, watercolor, and oil painting, earning multiple awards during his student years. Although his professional path led to architecture, he continued drawing and painting throughout his career. In May 2024, he transitioned fully into studio practice, dedicating himself to oil painting as a primary means of expression. Since then, Manuel has completed more than eighty oil paintings, focusing on selecting natural subjects such as florals, landscapes, and seascapes. His realist approach emphasizes atmosphere, subtle tonal relationships, and quiet emotional presence. His work has been recognized through juried exhibitions and awards, including an Honorable Mention in Jerry’s Artarama’s Masterful Mimicry Challenge (October/2025) and recent acceptance into the 2026 Edward Hopper House Museum International Juried Art Exhibition (Nyack, NY) as well as 2026 Nail on the Wall Gallery International Juried Art Exhibition, 2026 Monroe Township Cultural Arts Commission Juried Art Show (Middlesex County, NJ).