Filipino wire artist hits the Belgian art scene with novel art pieces

Meet Racso Jugarap, a wire artist from the Philippines now based in Brussels. He was discovered by Belgian art collectors early this year for his groundbreaking wire creations. His interior design pieces have made it to galleries, homes, and offices in Belgium, France, and Italy, all the way to New York and California in the United States.

Racso never went to formal art school. But when he was a child, he used to play and tinker with leftover wire from his parents’ jewelry store workshop in General Santos, a city in the Mindanao region of the Philippines. Years later, he was commissioned to design interior decors for restaurants and hotels while he was still studying Hospitality Management in the university.

In 2009, Racso found work as a chef in Germany. His work brought him to different parts of Europe until he took up residence in Belgium two years ago. Last year, he finally decided to embrace his one true passion and become a full-time wire artist working from the basement of his Brussels home. For his first project, he wove wires into the shape of an ostrich egg.

Racso’s first big break came from New York. A home design gallery in NYC discovered his ostrich eggs from his online posts, sent an order for the wire pieces, and promoted them on social media. Soon thereafter, Racso started receiving invitations from various galleries in Belgium and other European countries. As they say about New York, if you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere.

The 28-year old Filipino artist now has about ten different wire creations, each with its own name and significance. His latest is called Kaya, a wall sculpture that looks like a teardrop with a central eyelet representing a portal to one’s aspirations and dreams.

Another masterpiece by Racso is Sofia, a tabletop decor resembling interconnected cocoons and symbolizing levitation and grace.

Ella wire pieces are distinguished by their birdlike appearance, while Mephista, Matilda, and Raven are linked balls of wire in varying sizes, colors, and formations.

Aside from home design pieces, Racso also makes wire accessories including a neck corset which will be worn by performers in this month’s Tomorrowland music festival in Boom.

Since his first brush with success, Racso has managed to capture both the worlds of art and design. His babies are now showcased in art and interior design galleries in different locations in Europe and the United States.

Racso’s wire art will be featured this July in a showroom open door event at Acsento in Kortrijk, at the All4Home Brussels Expo in August, and at Maison et Objet in Paris in September.