Following is a review of a 2013 exhibition of Lirio, published by the Drawing Room Gallery, Makati City, Philippines.

Lirio Salvador's works do not stand behind signs that impose: "Do Not Touch the Artwork." Instead, his art entices the viewer to reach across the institutional wall that divides them just to pluck at the strings. Called 'sculptural assemblages,' Salvador's works are products of an alchemist. Gold lies in his ingenious fuse of decorative art and functional art, as well as the transformation of ordinary objects into a whole new artifact. Gears, mixing bowls, utensils and door handles make up these string instruments. Yet, this is more than experimentation with art principles and elements. Salvador's sculptural assemblag...