In May 2007, the French art magazine Univers des Arts held a demonstration of French painters in Japan. The owner and editor-in-chief, Patrice de la Perrière and his wife came to Japan. As I have been friends with Mr. de la Perrière for over 20 years, I was invited to attend the exhibition. About 100 French artists were exhibited, including popular artists such as Michel Marglais, Michel Henry, and Gerard Gebert, who already had exclusive contracts with our company. About 10 of them caught my eye. I wrote down the names of those 10 artists and gave them to Patrice de la Perrière. He said he would introduce those artists to me during my business trip to France in November. My heart was beating fast. Among the 10 artists, there was a painting by a bold and beautiful painter whose work leaves large knife marks like the walls of houses in the south of France or Spain, and it particularly stuck in my mind.
As planned, I went on a business trip to France in November. The plane trees in Paris started to fall, and winter was coming. I waited for the painters at Univers des Arts. I met and talked with about three painters, and made an arrangement to have them send me the materials. The fourth person was a lively family of painters, both father and son. They had a great time and made a lot of noise before leaving. However, I was more interested in the delicate painter who had arrived early and waited for me. I said to the painter, ``I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.'' The painter said, ``I'm Manuel Luballo. Nice to meet you.'' I said, ``Are you the painter who paints knife-like paintings like those on the walls of Spanish houses?'' ``Yes.'' I immediately made an arrangement to go to his studio and asked him to send me the materials. Luballo seemed like an honest and sincere person. I've always liked his paintings. To work together for a long time, you need to have a partnership with someone who is honest and sincere. I also believe in honesty and sincerity. Developing a market for paintings requires a long time and continuous effort. And a sincere relationship of trust between the painter and the art dealer is essential. After that, I met a few more painters. With this, my work was over. For the remaining three days, I went to art museums, lost myself in cafes, and got drunk at bistros at night.
In 2008, Lubaro's paintings were exhibited at the Ecole de Paris Contemporary Exhibition at department stores in Osaka and Kyoto. They were well received. They have also been well received in Tokyo and Kobe. Lubaro's paintings are delicate and bold. He paints with a bold touch in large compositions. His colors are intense. His paintings are full of intensity and boldness, but they also give off a trembling sense of delicate sensitivity and gentleness. Lubaro's paintings are a fountain of life. They give the viewer power and courage. The intense, explosive red and yellow colors radiate transparent energy. He is a mysterious painter who is both delicate and bold. Lubaro paints with the precision of a craftsman, but his paintings are unlike anyone else's. He is a highly original painter. His abundant imagination always brings new attempts to life on canvas. It seems unbearable for one person to be both delicate and bold. How can a delicate sensibility withstand such boldness? How does a painter who is sensitive to even the slightest whisper of the wind, the changing colors of flowers, and the trembling of his heart, endure such intensity and great change? Of course, that imbalance may be the energy that creates an unknown world. Many artists become alcoholics or turn to drugs. Lubaro is extremely healthy. Why? After meeting him two or three times and listening to his stories, I found the answer to my question. Lubaro is a black belt in Aikido, and like a Zen monk, he practices Zen meditation every morning. In other words, it seems that he balances his mind through Aikido and Zen. In meditation and prayer, he is able to discard the contradictions of his mind and sublimate them into imagination and creation.
