Year: 2020
Medium: Expired white & brown rice
Size: 40 x 25 x 10 ft.
"Rice Field" courtesy of the artist; Soundscape "Swinging Bowls" by Ayo the Producer, courtesy of the artist
Rice Field
JEFRË
Part of the Jefrë: Points of Connection Exhibit
Year: 2020
Medium: Expired white & brown rice
Size: 40 x 25 x 10 ft.
"Rice Field" courtesy of the artist; Soundscape "Swinging Bowls" by Ayo the Producer, courtesy of the artist
As a first generation American whose parents immigrated from the Philippines, JEFRË has experienced the many opportunities of living in the United States along with challenges that include confronting prejudice and ignorance regarding his heritage. Rice Field is a reflection on that heritage, his family’s immigration and the nature of life’s journey. The undulating topography of the rice suggests ocean waves or the rolling hills of an Asian landscape, suggesting the obstacles and effort required for the journey. Thirteen bands of white and brown rice reference the flag of the United States. The formal geometry of the stripes in the foreground dissolve into meandering pathways as they recede across the field.
JEFRË’s poem Heart to Heart begins here and guides the visitor through the exhibition with stanzas in each gallery.
About JEFRË
JEFRË is a Filipino-American artist who was born Jefre Figueras Manuel, (b.1974. Chicago, IL.). He took courses at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago prior to receiving a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from Ohio State University. He also took graduate courses in landscape urbanism at the architecture association in London. A heart attack in 2008 changed the course of his career. Since then, he has won major public art competitions and has created numerous site-specific artworks in major cities around the world including Reflection (2010) Philadelphia, Unity Plaza, San Antonio (2012) and The Beacon and Code Wall (2014) in Orlando. His critical success in the US was the catalyst for commissions in his homeland of the Philippines including Contour Sculpture Series (2015), Talking Heads (2016), Heaven’s Gate (2019) in Manila. He is currently working on a 24-story high standing figure with arm raised, titled The Victor. Located at a bridge connecting the cities of Pasig and Quezon in the Philippines, expected to be completed in 2020, the sculpture will be one of the world’s tallest artworks and its projecting light a beacon of unity.
A resident of Central Florida, JEFRË is known for his innovative artwork The Beacon and Code Wall (2014) at Lake Nona town center which combines elegant architectural design and dazzling digital projections. This 60-foot-high work anchors the corner of the location’s parking garage. Additionally, for this site, Jefrë designed The Code Wall (2014), the architectural façade of the parking garage composed of an aluminum sheathing cut through with binary codes, and Diamond Dog (2019), a large-scale reflective aluminum sculpture in the adjoining plaza. More recently Jefrë has created Stargate (2019), a large-scale abstract sculpture accompanied by sculptural seating for a new park at AdventHealth Winter Park. JEFRË has also been selected to create a monumental gateway sculpture that will greet visitors at the Orlando International Airport’s new south terminal. With an understanding of historical, environmental, social and aesthetic issues impacting a given work, he ensures that it responds to and activates its location whether in a public space or gallery.