CEBU, Philippines - Wayne Lacson Forte is a Filipino-American artist with a vast breadth of interests that are evident in the themes and subject matters his works touch up on. Born in Manila, he moved with his family to California when he was three years old. He earned both his undergraduate and masters degrees in Fine Arts at the University of California in Irvine.
When his mother passed away, Forte realized that he no longer had a connection to the Philippines. Since then, the artist moves from painting in his studio in California to Bacolod City in Negros Occidental for three months in a year - rediscovering his Filipino identity.
His works have been showcased in solo and group shows in California, New York, Brazil, Hong Kong and the Philippines. A solo exhibit titled "Filipino Themes" was held at the Negros Museum in Bacolod City in 2014, and, earlier, a show titled "Seeing the Kingdom" was held at the Calgary Gallery in Capistrano Beach, California in 2003.
A number of Forte's works are included in various private and corporate collections, including the Vatican Museum Collection of Contemporary Art. (FREEMAN)