Manila, Philippines. —Filmmaker and visual artist Ray Defante Gibraltar is marking an important period in his life with a pair of milestone projects — his first solo art exhibit and first book. Both deal with themes of mental health and are direct expressions of his former struggles with addiction.
Titled “Kuris-kuris At Ang Pagpapaamo sa Aking mga Dragon,” the art exhibit features striking abstract mixed media pieces that portray a tapestry of mental, psychological, and emotional turmoil. Kuris is a Bisayan (Cebuano) word for doodles or scribbles
The exhibit runs from August 16 to 22, 2025, at Gateway Gallery, 5th floor, Gateway Tower in Araneta City. It’s the same venue where Gibraltar held his previous exhibit, Under Construction, a two-man show with colleague Jom Vega in August 2024.
Folded into the “Kuris-kuris” opening event is the debut of Gibraltar as a published author. Titled “Nag Dyo-dyornal Din ang Adik (Mga Pinta at Kuwento Tungong Kahinahunan),” the book is a companion piece to the exhibit, containing a catalogue of all artworks in the exhibit and essays on select pieces that feature the autobiographical stories and inspirations behind them.
The 90-page tome tells about his journey from the darkness of addiction to the light and hope of recovery and rebuilding his life as an artist, a son, a sibling, a husband, and a father.
“Ang pagsalin ng aking mga karanasan sa mga pahina ng librong ito, at ang pagbabahagi ng aking personal na art journal, ay isang paglalakbay pabalik sa aking sarili (The translation of my experiences into the pages of this book, as well as the sharing of my personal art journal, is a journey back to myself),” Gibraltar writes in the book’s Foreword.
“Isang pangangailangang kailangan harapin ang mga pangyayari sa aking buhay, lalo na ang mga sugat, ang mga natutunang aral, at ang mga kwento ng pag-asa sa aking pag-ahon mula sa adiksyon (Facing these experiences in my life is a need that has to be face, especially the wounds, the lessons learned, and the story of hope in my recovery from addiction).”
“Kuris-kuris At Ang Pagpapaamo sa Aking mga Dragon” is his first solo art exhibit and “Nag Dyo-dyornal Din ang Adik (Mga Pinta at Kuwento Tungong Kahinahunan)” is his first book.
Gibraltar brings almost two decades of experience as a director, editor, and writer in the Philippine television and film industries to his artistic endeavors. He is currently preparing to restart his filmmaking career with several projects in the works.
