RAMON Orlina and David Kaufman beside their collaborative masterpiece. Photographs courtesy of Ramon Orlina/David Kaufman
SOCIAL SET

Glass and Stone: A dialogue of Kaufman and Orlina

Luis Espiritu

David Kaufman’s artistic odyssey is in the alchemy of form, where the rigid discipline of architectural stone meets the fluid grace of contemporary vision. Splitting his time between Manila and Madrid, the artist has swiftly ascended the global stage. 

By engineering emotion into marble and mixed media, he has mounted over 40 exhibitions since 2023. His work is a testament to the “modern Renaissance man” — a dual-career maven who translates industrial expertise into a tactile, poetic language that challenges our perception of structure and space.

CANDICE Velasco and Dulce Cepeda.
CHARMAINE and Mike Castro.

The zenith of this exploration recently unfolded at BGC’s MC Home Depot in the seminal exhibition, Rebirth. In a rare, tectonic collaboration with the legendary Ramon Orlina, Kaufman orchestrated a dialogue between the translucent fragility of glass and the stoic permanence of stone. 

The showcase, featuring 34 evocative pieces, was anchored by an Orlina sculpture of unprecedented scale — marking a historic moment where monumental public art transitioned into an intimate, industrial setting.

ED Calma and Nes Jardin.
ILLAC and Ami Diaz.
JACK Teotico, Patrick Naval and Joel Vizmonte.
MARIANITO Abella, Cheese and Joel Ong.
RAMON and Silvana Diaz.
RON Lopez Davis and Hugo Bunzl.
TONETTE Tionko and Richard Uy.