Filippos Bourbo Scuptor – Designer – Healer

In Ubud there are many a gallery, but none that stands out as making a difference on the artist dilemma of where to exhibit, what to exhibit, and meeting with like-minded souls. Filippos Bourbo and The Oracle Gallery on Jl. Raya Sanggingan, #9 have the answers, and so much more. By Salvador Bali.

S.B. Who are you?
Filippos Bourbo, from Greece, aged fifty.

S.B. How long have you been a sculptor?
As long as I can remember. A life time. Starting when I was very young, the interest has always been there. Once I finished art school I studied different techniques of sculpture in different places around the world, but actually the study has never finished. Bali also taught me a number of things. I became a member of Indonesian Sculptor Association, and I have had my own gallery, Oracle, for the past nine years.

S.B.You have been in Bali how long now?
Twenty five years to date.

S.B. Other than sculpting are there other ventures that you do?
Yes, I do. I have kind of matured in this field of my life. I also have interests in designing houses and jewellery, but my main thing now is healing; I-Ching divination, which is one of the oldest oracles in China at 5,000 years old. Also I am a member of the international committee of the I-Ching Association.

S.B. Does I-Ching influence your work?
Yes, I use the hexagrams and the numerology symbolism in my sculpture. I am planning to do readings on health issues using the I-Ching on other people.

SB. How long does it take you to complete a sculpture?
Six months to a year depending on the scale.

S.B. Price range?
Five thousand to fifty thousand dollars.

S.B. International, I presume?
Yes, a lot in Dubai and I’m now planning a show at The Natural Museum in Jakarta, which is coming up soon.

S.B. How do you see sculpture?
When you look around from different angles, you can see a different view. It’s not flat like a painting, which is two dimensional, it’s a three dimensional thing. For me sculpture is a different way of expression, because you work through a lot of different mediums. Every medium has expressions of uniqueness, not abstract, but more classical.

Being born as a Greek I inherited that classical era and I take that as self discovery. What I discover, I translate into the material. I use that in classical form, shapes I like, but more impressionistic.

S.B. How do you find the market of sculpture?
The education of people is not so much in that realm. People identify with painting. Sculpture you have to have a background to educate and understand.

S.B. What material do you work with?
Onyx has been my main material, although I do work with iron, steel and wood, depending on what the sculpture calls for.

S.B. Do you do commission work?
Yes, but they only give me guidelines. Not everybody knows what they want, and I’m not interested in being told what they want exactly. I need space to work with, I need the creativity, the creative mind.

F.B. Ideas for ideas you’ve mentioned earlier, in what respect?
I want to make my gallery, The Oracle, a new meeting place for artists, all kinds of artists, a venue with no limits, dancing and music, whatever. As we speak I’m expanding from 300 square metres to 400 square metres, striving for something different; food, wine, a bar, weekly exhibitions, music, and to be open for discussions in the true sense of art, things like that. There will be an upstairs as well as the main floor venue and that should be ready for this coming summer.

S.B. Sounds delicious in all respects, thanks Filippos.

email: contactfilippos@yahoo.com
Phone: +62 813 3847 1884