Beneath the Surface
Solo Exhibition by Abraham Reyes
AS SEEN ON
Abraham Reyes
Abraham Reyes is a contemporary artist and collector known for his bold fusion of rare treasures—Asian antiquities, natural pearls, and gemstones—that challenge traditional ideas of beauty and value. As the owner of The Giga Pearl, the world’s largest natural pearl, Reyes draws inspiration from underwater wonders, ancient dynasties, and earth-forged gems, blending them into provocative creations.
Reyes embraces the raw, unpolished beauty of gems and artifacts, rejecting the obsession with perfection. Flaws, textures, and irregularities become central to his work, celebrating nature’s unrefined beauty.
With one of the world’s most remarkable collections of natural pearls, Reyes transforms rare materials into mixed-media works often called “jewelry for the walls”—exploring shifting ideas of value, power, and legacy.
His works incorporate rare artifacts from Asian empires, tackling themes of colonization, cultural identity, spirituality, and rarity. Each piece invites viewers to rethink the stories these objects carry and the forces that shaped them.
Born in the Philippines and guided by his godmother, a passionate collector, Reyes developed an early love for objects with history. Today, he continues to blur the line between collector and artist, weaving past and future into bold new visions.
The Giga Pearl
The World’s Largest Authenticated Natural Pearl
The Giga Pearl, weighing an astonishing 27.65 kilograms (61 lbs), is the world’s largest authenticated natural pearl. Certified by the GIA, this baroque pearl stands apart from the traditionally envisioned round pearls, showcasing nature’s remarkable diversity.
For over 4,000 years, pearls have symbolized wealth, purity, and wisdom, treasured by royalty and revered in sacred rituals. Beyond their beauty, natural pearls reflect the health of marine ecosystems, forming under unique environmental conditions. As the largest pearl ever discovered, the Giga Pearl underscores both this rich history and the importance of ocean conservation.
Unlike cultured pearls, which are farmed through human intervention, natural pearls form entirely by chance, making them extraordinarily rare. Many so-called "giant pearls" are actually carved shells, but true natural pearls, like the Giga Pearl, are verified by experts and remain one of nature’s most precious and authentic treasures.
(The Giga Pearl is no longer available for public viewing.)
Beneath the Surface
Solo Art Exhibition by Abraham Reyes
Beneath the Surface challenges perceptions of rarity and value, inviting viewers to discover the hidden beauty in nature’s creations. Abraham Reyes’ artworks, crafted from natural gems and pearls, focus on the intricate worlds within, rather than just surface beauty. These pieces draw from undersea and subterranean realms, revealing the complexity shaped by nature’s forces.
Reyes celebrates the unique features—like the “jardin” in an emerald—that reveal the true rarity and beauty often overlooked in favor of flawless exteriors. Through this exhibition, Reyes redefines rarity as the marks of nature’s touch, hidden beneath the surface.
The exhibition also explores the legacy of colonialism in Filipino identity, reflecting on the subtle yet profound influence of Spanish colonization. This theme is brought to life in the Sacred Beauty series, where indigenous swords pierce sacred hearts, symbolizing the clash of faith and cultural resistance. Reyes' work invites a deeper appreciation for nature’s hidden wonders and the complexity of cultural identity.
