With a month to go before her wedding to Senator Chiz Escudero, actress Heart Evangelista indulged in another love of her life—painting. And for a short while, Filipino and foreign art lovers alike were able to view her works on display at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore.

The exhibit was titled “Love Marie”—the actress’s birth name—and featured six very detailed oil paintings, mostly highlighting women.

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“Alessandra.”

According to the souvenir program, Heart is the first Filipina to be showcased at the Chan Hampe Galleries, which generally caters to Southeast Asian artists based in Singapore.

Heart shared that when the Singaporean gallery inquired about her paintings, a product she endorsed went all out to make the exhibit happen.

“Cathedral.”

“I actually had such an amazing time. We showcased six of my paintings. It was a success kasi ang dami ng pumunta. It was overwhelming kasi hindi lang mga Pilipino ang pumunta, so nakakatuwa,” she said.

Among her own works, her favorite is the one called “Fallen Star.” She described it as “pretty special,” saying she could relate to it. She also admitted that the making of the painting took a while, as she was going through a rough patch in her career.

“Fallen Star.”

Heart explained, “She holds a broken heart. That one would be my favorite. I guess it best describes some of the ups and downs of being in show business, your heartaches, about being an artist… I made that painting because of that.”

Crowd reception

A number of enthusiasts who went to the exhibit had nothing but good things to say about her work.

American Solomon Katz was immediately reminded of the paintings of infamous Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt when he saw the painting titled “Queen.”

“Queen.”

“I’m impressed with the paintings, they’re interesting! Gustav Klimt from Austria at the beginning of the 20th century was doing work in incredible detail. This is reminiscent of his work, though not in the same detail. It’s fascinating.”

Singaporean Philip Choo liked the “Lourdes” painting’s “combination of fish, birds, nature, the crown which also looks like a peacock; the sudden explosion of colors.”

“Lourdes.”

Gallery Director Samantha Segar shared her delight at hosting Heart Evangelista’s first show in Singapore. “The works are charming and she’s brought in a large number of fans over the last two days. It’s been heartwarming to see how many people have come in to see her work and support her. We’re glad to be a part of it.”