Filipino Artists Magazine Vol 5 issue no 24 Roger San Miguel Seasons of Life

TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 .......... FROM THE EDITOR 04 .........

RITCHE YEE

06 .........

PHILIPP BADON

10 .........

FIRST STEPS TO GETTING YOUR ART IN A GALLERY BY : MARIA WOODIE

15 .........

MARK SHELLSHEAR

16 .........

THE LIFE OF AN AVERAGE BY : INGRID AIMEE

18 .........

ROGER SAN MIGUEL | SEASONS OF LIFE BY : CID REYES

34 .........

FERDINAND DOCTOLERO - RITUALS OF COMMUNION & HEALING BY : JONATHAN LIBARIOS RONDINA

37 .........

EXHIBIT ON FOCUS : MUSING AT ESPACIO MANILA

40 .........

THE FUSION ART OF SIR LEVI YU BY : CID REYES

44 .........

HOW TO MAKE ART FULL TIME AND STILL PAY YOUR BILLS BY : ARTISTS NETWORK STAFF

48 .........

EXHIBITS AROUND THE METRO

50 .........

OLD REX BOOKSTORE BY : ARNALDO MIRASOL

51 .........

5 ARTWORKS THAT CELEBRATE PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY : REFLECTING ON A REVOLUTION THAT ENDED COLONIAL RULE BY : ALEXANDRA CHAVES THE MUSEUM AND GALLERY

56 .........

COVER STORY

THE TEAM RUTH CHUA Editor-in-Chief

FILARTS, INC. Publisher

ROY ESPINOSA Creative Director

INGRID AIMEE MARK SHELLSHEAR ARNALDO MIRASOL Writer | Contributor

Editorial and Satellite Business Office : B L13 Gemini Street Cruzville Subd. Quezon City 1124 Email : filartspublishing@gmail.com and/or filartsincorporated@gmail.com

FROM THE EDITOR

FILARTS joins the nation in mourning the passing of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. Known for his “daang matuwid” campaign, Pnoy was a great leader who continued on the legacy left by his parents, Benigno Jr. and Corazon Aquino, well-known historical figures in Philippine politics themselves. Some Filipino visual artists paid tribute and expressed their sympathies to the late President Noynoy Aquino by creating artworks inspired by his achievements or on things he became famous for during his term. Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. Rest in peace, our dear president.

On a lighter note, FILARTS takes pride on having Roger San Miguel on this issue’s cover, another Filipino master visual artist who has carved a niche not only here in the Philippines but in other parts of the world.

Roger San Miguel’s latest show “Seasons of Life” is very timely and aptly titled if I may say. It connotes varying interpretations of “season” - the different time of the year, occasions or celebrations, cycles, or whatever one may have experienced in a lifetime.

For one, Roger San Miguel is a seasoned artist, with over decades of weaving magical artworks.

This is one highly anticipated show to look forward to.

RUTH CHUA Editor-in-Chief

RITCHE YEE “ I am fascinated by the structural damage of concrete and decayed buildings. The dramatic process of erosion due to its resistance to corrosive environment and other severe exposure conditions show the dramatic force of nature’s uncontrollability and testament between environmental conditions in relation to place and time. I see history through the varying length that the two processes undergo, and they are more than just eyewitnesses. They are storytellers, and that means they tell their stories through erosion”. - Ritche Yee Ritche Yee is a conceptual artist who has held numerous major solo and group exhibits. He graduated with a degree in Business Administration major in Marketing Management at Urios University in Butuan City. His passion for visual arts led him to pursue his art career. Thus, he attended different art workshops in order to enhance his knowledge and further his skills. He eventually begun his apprenticeship to a renowned visual artist, Hermes Alegre from 2002 to 2003 and acclaimed artist, Junyee from 2008-2012 and in 2013, he enrolled his second degree at University of the Philippines, Diliman, taking up Bachelor of Fine Arts major in Painting.

Ritche Yee’s artistic inclination is eccentric; fascinated by his subject the structural damage concrete and the decayed walls of buildings. He has always been rebellious in his expression. He is not only after in formulating a philosophical and theoretical framework but rather provoke a social reality and also stimulate the aesthetic experience and its authentic quality. The technique behind Yee’s work is liberation of important composition, the elements and the transformations of color band texturing; including the tedious process he applies is a testament to his unconventional methods, the act of painting itself is indicative of gestural forms and languages in his art, loaded with his vital views. He regularly competes in many prestigious national competitions such as GSIS Art Competition, the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) art competition, and Metrobank Art Association for Excellent Award, the Philippine Art Awards, and Bangko Sentral Art Design for Excellence; he consistently emerges as one of the winners of the said competitions.

4 RITCHE YEE

ALL WORKS are from the series entitled “The Art of Shredding” / 4 x 3 ft / Mixed Media

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Freedom

6 PHILIPP BADON

PHILIPP BADON A prolific artist for 40 years, Philipp Badon developed his artistic style early, influenced by surrealism, fauvism, expressionism, cubism, abstraction and very recently, abstract expressionism or ABEX; artistic styles that are patronized by modernist, yuppies and millennial art collectors. He is adept at several art techniques such as drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpting in various mediums. Over the years, he has continued to explore and evolve his distinct style and experimented with some, especially ABEX which gives him freedom and joy as he wield his colorful brushstrokes on the canvas like a burst of overwhelming feeling of great happiness which he wants shared to his audience.

Philipp has had more than 30 solo art shows and over a hundred group shows locally and internationally. Motivated by the desire to inspire the community, his current show, ART BURST!” displays a collection of Philipp Badon’s abstract expressionistic pieces in his signature fauvistic colors taking you into the brighter side of life amid the prolonged quarantines caused by the COVID-19 crises that we are in right now.

The featured pieces are therapeutic to the artist which he hopes to be therapeutic to his viewers as well. Happy viewing and see the brighter side of life in this art celebration in the time of pandemic, ART BURST!

Lambing ng Ina

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Art Collector

Abruptionalism Series 3

8 PHILIPP BADON

Abruptionalism Series 2

Ulirang Ama Abruptionalism Series 4

Abruptionalism Series 1

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First Steps to Getting Your Art in a Gallery

by Maria Woodie

6 Art Gallery Essentials for Artists Whether you’ve decided to take the first steps in getting your work shown in an art gallery or you’re an established artist looking to expand your presence into new cities, understanding the fundamentals for how an art gallery selects its artists is essential.

Cecilia Murray posing in her art gallery, Cecil Byrne Gallery, located in Charleston, South Carolina.

As both a gallery owner and an artist in one of the most vibrant art cities in the U.S. — Charleston, South Carolina — Cecilia Murray knows a thing or two about getting art shown at galleries. Below, she breaks down critical steps artists should take before seeking out potential representation. Enjoy!

1. Offer a Unique Artistic Vision One of the first things I look for in a prospective artist is a substantial and consistent body of work with a distinct point of view and direction. I’m looking for someone with a clearly developed style and approach, whether it’s an intriguing choice of subject, composition, palette, surface texture or lighting. To set yourself apart from other artists, present a unique, exciting body of work that demands attention. How? Build and refine your artistic vision, and consider your current body of work. Focus on the subject matter that incites the most enthusiasm. The subjects that most excite you likely will inspire your best paintings, which will, in turn, best engage viewers. Focus your thoughts and immerse yourself in one genre. This will make building a cohesive, interesting body of work much easier.

10 FIRST STEPS INTO GETTING YOUR ART IN A GALLERY

An Unfinished Story by Alain Picard

2. Be Your Own Toughest Critic Look at established artists’ websites and social media accounts, like Instagram. Note how, even when viewed as a thumbnail, successful artists present a well-designed collection of work, with a wonderful sense of light and a beautiful palette. Now, look at your work as a collection. Do you have at least twodozen paintings that hold together as a single body of work? If there’s room in your home or studio, I suggest hanging several paintings on one wall, as if they were in an art gallery, in order to evaluate. Ask yourself what it is about your work that’s unique. Are your landscapes more textured and bold, or perhaps more tonal in palette than others you’ve seen? Are your portraits painted from life, and overflowing with emotion and light? Is your work more subtle and moody than other still lifes you’ve seen? If you’re unsure of the answers to questions like these, ask fellow artists for feedback, and challenge yourself to push a little further into your subject matter. Many artists and galleries offer portfolio critiques. These are good investments in gaining an impartial perspective on your work. Another effective way to assess your own work is to consider the answer to these questions: What’s the message I want to send as an artist? If I had to describe my work in one sentence, what would it be? A wildlife artist represented in my gallery states, “I enjoy using color and texture to express the unique personality of each animal, whether it be a bit of sass or a touch of goofiness.” This is an artist who has edited and refined her artistic vision. That statement is a reflection of the wonderful, colorful birds she paints. She has a strong, consistent message.

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Onlookers by Alain Picard; the painterly style and subject matter of this artwork complement An Unfinished Story (above) to serve as part of a cohesive — and marketable — body of work.

3. Highlight Your Best Work In my seminar on approaching galleries, I highly recommend editing your collection down to its strongest works. In all likelihood, unless you’re quite well established, an art gallery won’t carry more than one genre of your work at the beginning of your partnership. For example, if you’re most passionate about portraits and still lifes, don’t include landscapes and wildlife — even if you paint them occasionally — in your presentation to a gallery. Only the paintings that best represent your vision and passion as an artist should be visible on your website. Similarly, if you enjoy painting seascapes but don’t plan to present them to a gallery, take them off your website and social media platforms. Since growth as an artist is natural, should an earlier work no longer represent your current accomplishments, I recommend removing it. Paintings that are decades old may still be relevant to your current work, but if they’re not, my motto is, “Promote the best, hide the rest.”

Joy, Peace, Hope by Maureen Spinale

12 FIRST STEPS INTO GETTING YOUR ART IN A GALLERY

4. Consider Location Does your work have specific regional, national or international appeal? Cityscapes of iconic locations in New York, Paris and Florence will appeal to most clients, regardless of location. But if you paint local landscapes, your work is more likely to be successful when represented by galleries in your area. I recently worked with an artist who lives on the Northeast Coast. However, her most inspired, dramatic and impressive work stems from the time she has spent in the mountainous regions of New England. I proposed that she’d do well to return to the mountains to seek representation until she’d built up a larger portfolio of work inspired by the coast. Even if your work isn’t location specific, you’ll still need to research the region where you’re seeking gallery representation. Natural light, local color and interior design vary greatly when you move across the country. Your success in a new region may be as simple as a slight shift in color palette. For instance, I admired the work of a Utah artist who was seeking representation in my gallery on the South Carolina coast. While her avian subjects would fit in nicely with my area’s local fauna, her color palette was quite earthy. Though perfect for a mountain home, it was not appropriate for the majority of coastal homes in South Carolina. A small shift to a slightly lighter and bluer background could be her key to successful painting sales in my part of the country.

Cathedral by Maureen Spinale

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5. Let Your Artistic Vision Shine As you create a body of work in preparation for representation, take note of these three points: Focus on your inspiration, edit your work to its strongest pieces and always keep in mind the message you want to send as an artist, both online and in person. If you create your own unique, exciting and iconic artwork, your message will shine through.

The Bold and Beautiful by Maureen Spinale; this artwork as well as Joy, Peace, Hope and Cathedral (above), are warm-lit, close-cropped landscapes, which makes Spinale’s work congruent. This artist is represented by Cecil Byrne Gallery.

6. Get More Exposure In addition to art gallery representation, a great way to garner more exposure as an artist is through art competitions. Entering art contests and competitions elevates an artist’s visibility within the art world. And, winning a competition also can increase an artist’s confidence in his or her work. Both of these points help artists prepare for open calls often held by art galleries. What’s more, the prizes include cash, publication in worldwide art magazines or books, and access to judges who are influencers in the art world — and sometimes exhibitions of work. Ready to start entering art competitions?

14 FIRST STEPS INTO GETTING YOUR ART IN A GALLERY

MARK SHELLSHEAR

Mark Shellshear 0947.647.34.65 markshellshear@gmail.com galeriadelasislas@gmail.com Acrylic and oil pastel on watercolour paper.

28cm x 38.3cm.

11ins x 15ins.

All paintings from my imagination.

The rock pool series. . “ The little orange fish.” .

The little orange fish swimming in the rock pool is not aware that it is in water, this is it’s natural environment.

As it looks up it sees a little boy staring into the rock pool and all the orange fish can focus on are the two strange eyes staring in at the fish.

The orange fish wonders how does that creature survive outside of the rock pool?

Change your mindset.

What if I told you that you are not going to be picked?

What if I told you no one was coming to discover you?

What if I told that your paintings really don’t speak for themselves?

You mean if I keep doing what I am doing, that this is as good as it gets?

Yes! So you are going to have to change your mindset.

You will have to pick yourself, build self belief.

You have to be the one to discover you, constant self promotion.

You will have to be the one to sell your paintings, constant marketing and selling.

You can do this, it is just fear that stops you.

When you believe in yourself, strangers will believe in you also.

When you discover yourself start promoting you, strangers will watch and listen and discover you.

When you believe in your Art enough to work hard selling it, strangers will buy it.

Believe in yourself, you are an amazing Artist.

FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINE 15

The Life of An Average

By Ingrid Aimee

“I Don’t Care if People are Eating a Sandwich or Showering” From Facebook and Twitter and Instagram, our relationship with social media has evolved over the past 15 years.

Unfortunately, this may have led to the loss of curiosity and the devolution of our bonds with the people these platforms were built to connect us with, beyond the boundaries of time and space. Websites we once used to find and catch up with best friends from fourth grade and share photos from a good night out have become little more than tools of narcissism, news, and nosiness. Dating lives, good deeds, weight loss journeys, wedding stories, new additions, home purchases, career moves, family tragedies, academic achievements, and changes in diet are posted for all to see. Our connections are all narcissistic and arrogant or secretive and selfish.

We can make our assessments based on Facebook profile timelines. Facebook gives unfettered access to private lives. People often forget that keeping the mystery alive is important for relationships. There is NO MYSTERY ANYMORE; we know way too much about each other. Much of what we share on social media is in an attempt to portray ourselves in a positive light. Ironically, these attempts often backfire, and we inadvertently portray ourselves negatively. In our attempt to present a controlled, modified and perfected image of ourselves on social media, we become caught up in a battle of what to share and what not to share. But, less is so much more. The more we share, the less authenticity our lives will hold.

Oversharing plays a dangerous role in our generation’s disconnect. Some of us share every detail of our lives on social media. We lack motivation to make plans with friends to catch up because we already know what is happening in their lives just by checking our smartphones. Conversations have become predictable. Moments have become less authentic. Prospects have become less alluring because there is no mystery. These are only some of the problems caused by oversharing. The reality is, the less you share on social media, the more meaningful your real-life connections will be. Everything you share becomes more meaningful the moment you stop oversharing. Every moment becomes more authentic when you aren’t experiencing it with a smartphone in your hand. Every bond becomes more personal the moment you stop being available to anyone and everyone online. Facebook is, by far, the most popular social media platform. Twitter is a distant second. The growing popularity and progression of social media has a lot of pros: It is great for publicity, businesses, advertisers and startups. For the individual, however, social media have caused problems... Picture the scene. You’re in a fast food restaurant and a person who you suspect is homeless, walks in and then starts to pick up and eat food which has been left behind on trays. What do you do? You might ignore the unfolding situation. You might walk out in disgust. Or you might buy a real meal for the person and bring an end to the indignity….then tell everyone on Facebook.

Yep, that’s a real thing. Doing good stuff and telling everyone on Social Media. I’ve seen it lots of times in the past few months. Viral tales of people who’ve encountered a person in distress, helped them (which is lovely) but before leaving, snapped a shareable selfie. Some try to disguise it, by telling a long story of how much the homeless, vulnerable person taught them. Cynical? Me? Ok…maybe just a little. Sorry.

16 THE LIFE OF AN AVERAGE | FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINE

To be fair, I’m guessing the generous acts were well-intended, but why the need to talk about it? Sharing it on Facebook makes the giver a good person…a temporary hero others can look up to. And if it goes viral, all the better – who wouldn’t want thousands of people telling you that you’re kind and heroic? Let’s be honest…we’d all love it (just a little). Our culture has a funny way of deciding who is good. People who do huge amounts for charity, are knights in shining armour, almost untouchable. Good deeds don’t necessarily make a person good; not the charitable things, not the caring duties, not even giving your shoes to a vulnerable person. That’s just stuff – stuff the world honours, but which tells us very little about the state of hearts. I’d like to think people do this to inspire others to follow suit. But the skeptic in me is pretty sure that they do this to satisfy their ego. Bragging about a good deed is tacky. Class is when you do the right thing, not only when no one is looking but also when no one will thank or praise you. A good deed loses some of its purity when it’s broadcasted by the ‘doer’ on social media. If you’re the one who posts at most little hints of your life on social media, you’re on the right track. Whether you post literally nothing, barely anything or only little hints, you’re intriguing others. If somebody wants to know more, he or she would have to go out for dinner or drinks with you. If someone finds out there is a lot more to you than meets the eye, he or she may suddenly feel a deeper connection with you. When someone learns things about you that not everyone else knows, it feels special to know the real you. It is no wonder why the mysterious individuals who are not present on social media leave us wanting to know more, engaging our interest and intriguing us beyond our comprehension. If you are mysterious, conversations with you feel special because you’re a well kept secret. You are inaccessible. Facebook doesn’t force you to share.

Instagram doesn’t ask what you’ve eaten after every meal. Social media doesn’t overshare – people do.

Oversharing is not a social media problem, it’s a character flaw. Peace out.

FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINe 17

ROGER SAN MIGUEL SEASONS OF LIFE

by Cid Reyes

SEASONS OF LIFE. As schoolchildren, we learned with interest and curiosity many tidbits of information about our country’s geography and culture, but one has never forgotten the stock knowledge, indeed inscribed in memory, that the world’s smallest commercial fish are to be found... in Lake Buhi. It is said that hundreds of years ago, it was here that people, fleeing from the wrath of Mayon Volcano, eventually settled. When the Spaniards asked how they had come to the place, they replied, “naka-buhi.” Meaning, they have escaped by evacuating or exodus. At the NakaBuhi Park now stand the statues of a fleeing family with their meager belongings cradled in their arms.

Surprising, the name Buhi emerged after all these decades when we recently met the artist Roger San Miguel, who informs us that his birthplace was the town of Buhi in Camarines Sur, Bicol. Like the name Lake Buhi, the name “Roger San Miguel” was also etched in our memory, when as a young man interested in the arts, we enjoyed strolling along that famous street in Ermita studded with art galleries. Named after the Sublime Paralytic Apolinario Mabini, the area became synonymous with what is derisively called by the supposed Manila cognoscenti as “tourist art”. Here the souvenir-hunting foreigners are shown stacks of canvases of Manila bay sunsets, Filipina maidens harvesting rice, carabaos grazing in the golden fields, and luscious still lifes of mangoes, atis and watermelons.

While admittedly many of those works were done by hacks, with no pretension there were some artists along Mabini who were seriously trained in art, several of them either by Fernando Amorsolo, dean of UP Fine Arts, or Victorio Edades, dean of two rival artists and schools. One of these artists with their established galleries of window showcase, the distinctively hand painted name “ Roger San Miguel” (stylishly intentional). Our meeting with the artist, now a still active septual shock of tousled hair and beard, sparked the thought that we were talking to one statesmen in the field of Philippine art. Sharing the name of the country’s world to our mind, verily “St. Michael, the Art Angel”.

18 ROGER SAN MIGUEL : SEASONS OF LIFE

Handog, 2015 | Oil on Canvas | 36” x 36”

LOOKING BACK Of course, the generation of artists that emerged after the war and comprised what in retrospect was a Golden Age of talent is all practically gone, except for the octogenarian National Artist Arturo Luz, the Spaniard with the heart of a Filipino, Juvenal Sanso, as well as National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon Abueva and Mauro “Malang” Santos, who, alas, are both not in the best of health. Other such names as Vicente Manansala, Hernando Ocampo, Cesar Legaspi, Ramon Estella and Victor Oteyza, the original Neo-Realists, are all now written in the registry of Filipino Immortals. Romeo Tabuena, now in his nineties and living in Mexico, has not set foot in the country of his birth since he departed for Mexico in the early Fifties. Amazingly, there is one Filipino artist who has reached the century landmark: Manuel Rodriguez, Sr., the “ Father of Philippine Printmaking”. But the lessons of good painting have all been passed on and absorbed by the succeeding generation that, inevitably, is now also entering their autumn years. Unfortunately, recently departed was Mario Parial, but we still have among us, all actively painting, are the likes of the couple Angelito Antonio and Norma Belleza, Antonio Austria, Tam Austria and, of course Roger San Miguel. By sheer coincidence, they were all graduates of the College of Fine Arts of the University of Santo Tomas. As such they were mentored by such legendary names as Dean Victorio Edades, Diosdado Lorenzo, the Italian sculptor Francesco Monti, and Antonio Garcia Llamas.

FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINe 19

Big Catch, 2014 | Oil on Canvas | 30” x 24”

20 ROGER SAN MIGUEL : SEASONS OF LIFE

Season for Yellow, 2015 | Oil on Canvas | 48” x 60”

GIFTED SINCE CHILDHOOD The eight in a large brood of ten siblings, Roger was gifted early childhood with drawing skills. The awareness of this talent was totally unself-conscious, manifesting in the child’s irrepressible penchant for drawing on any surface, on walls mostly. Even their neighbor’s walls were not spared. Aside from Roger’s parents, the first to notice the child’s talent were the school teachers who often requested for assistance in their posters, which entailed competent lettering. When other students’ artwork were exhibited, the young Roger vowed secretly to himself that he would draw better than the rest. This he proved when, in one painting competition, Roger won all the prizes, much to the shock of his teachers. More than a competitive streak in his personality, it was a desire to excel in art, which he knew at such a young age was his destiny.

Thus, while still in his teens, he more than welcomed the opportunity to work as an apprentice in a movie billboard shop of Bichara Theater in Naga City, where Roger’s father, a barber, had transferred his family.

Starting from the bottom, washing the soiled paintbrushes, this was literally hands-on art training, beyond the need for intellectual art theory and fancy art meanings. Despite this, however, Roger had long wanted to come to Manila to further his art education, but where was he get the necessary funds to enroll? Fortunately, a retired ship captain in the person of Ramon Camacho, came into the picture and offered to help Roger with his tuition fees at UST. Thus enrolled, his professors were to notice the young man’s advance painting skills.

In fact, even while still in school, Roger was already selling his works. Often he would bring his paintings to Royal Art Frames, which easily found the buyers for them. Having found a consistent means of income, he then decided, after a few semesters, to stop schooling and to devote his full time and energy to painting. For Roger, a diploma had become a mere piece of paper. Even after leaving UST, Professor Garcia Llamas would invite the young artist to come over to his studio in Pasay, where Roger was told to paint still lifes. The good professor easily found buyers for them.

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LET THE PAINTING SPEAK FOR ITSELF Having his own space in Mabini was itself heaven-sent. (One thinks of the real St. Michael the Archangel beaming down his blessings on his namesake-ward!) There was of course friendly competition among the artists with their studios in the neighborhood, among whom were his seniors, such as Gabriel Custodio, Cesar Buenaventura, Ben Alano, Miguel Galvez, Paco Gorospe and Salvador Cabrera. The voluble and expansive Vicente Manansala, not yet the National Artist, was a good friend of these Mabini artists, whose studios he often visited. No doubt, Manansala, who placed the highest value on drawing, was impressed with Roger’s works, which were excellent examples of draftmanship. Let it be said that Manansala himself used to sell works in Mabini. Another future National Artist whose origins where also in Mabini was Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera, whose painting, on display in his brother Salvador’s studio, was once bought by Beatles Paul McCartney during their historic visit in Manila in 1966. Starting out in their art career, Sofronio Mendoza, better known as SYM, and his brother-in-law Romulo Galicano, both coming from Cebu, did paintings for the Mabini market. With such distinguished artists, one should think twice before turning down one’s nose on all Mabini art. The Cultural Center of the Philippines itself has seen fit to officially recognize the Mabini Art Movement with a retrospective show, complete with a well-researched catalog essay. It was a positive move to rectify what has been, in retrospect, an unjust oversight. Roger himself has never been insecure about having worked and sold his works in Mabini. In his own words, “Let the painting speak for itself”.

Mostly the artists worked in the classical conservative mode of painting; indeed they were adherents of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo. While they all shared in common certain favored themes such as the Mother and Child, floral and fruit still lifes, landscapes of the environs, fiestas and other Philippine traditions and customs, each one strived and succeeded in delineating his own distinctive and instantly recognizable style. In one interview, Roger declared, “I sharpened my craft in Mabini”.

Garden Treasure, 2015 | Oil on Canvas | 30” x 30”

Inahen at sisiw, 2015 | Oil on Canvas | 30” x 30”

1114 A. MABINI Roger’s studio --- with address at 1114 A. Mabini --- was truly masuwerte (luck-bringer). Due to its vantage location, the studio was often visited by the wives of consuls and other officers from foreign embassies in the area. Many became his ardent collectors. For this reason, Roger was no longer impelled to keep on holding the conventional one-man shows, though to his credit, he has held solo shows at the legendary Philippine Art Gallery (PAG), founded by Lydia Arguilla Salas, way back in 1965-66. This was the gallery that launched the shows of the Neo-Realists. Indeed, all the artists that comprised the country’s artistic Golden Age --- from Lee Aguinaldo and Federico Aguilar Alcuaz to Oscar Zalameda and Fernando Zobel--- first exhibited at this historic gallery. Years later, Roger would also present his works at various venues, such as the Quad Gallery in Makati, the Florentino Art Gallery in Ermita, the Great Pacific Gallery in Malate, and the Savoy Hotel’s Arts and Ends Gallery. In 1975, the well-known journalist Joe Quirino wrote of the artist: “At first glance he looks like a hippie, what with his beard and sharp looks. But once you talk with him, you’ll learn that Roger San

22 ROGER SAN MIGUEL : SEASONS OF LIFE

Macopa Harvest. Acrylic on canvas. 36in x 48in. 2019 Friday Routine, 2015 | Oil on Canvas | 36” x 36”

Miguel, one of the country’s youngest artist.

Small wonder, he has been called the Musician of Colors.

Completely uninhibited, he paints life as he sees it. He captures not only places but people and aspirations, their fears and their loves. Truly his paintings “communicate”.

(While all these galleries are now defunct, they nonetheless serve the value of tracing the historical trajectory of our local art promotion).

A painting in progress entitled “Offering” at Bamboo Gallery Ubud, Indonesia

VIRTUOSITY WITH COLORS Moreover, for Manila’s top interior designers, Roger had become the dependable “go-to” painter. The mere specifications of size and dominant color were sufficient for the versatile Roger to conceive and execute both abstract works as well as representational paintings. The Mirror Magazine had once written that Roger San Miguel “demonstrates a rare combination of absolute command of colors, great skill, and versatility in style.

He displays a virtuosity with the music of colors... and this young musician of colors justifiably scores one success after another”. Another magazine, Philippine Panorama, lauded Roger as “ one of our most gifted young impressionist artists”. Among the first to write about the artist was the poet-critic Federico Licsi-Espino who, in 1968, rhapsodized over Roger’s use of colors, likening, for instance, blue to “the blue of larkspur, the blue of Mary’s colors” (T.S. Eliot), and red to “ the ruddy hues of life” (Thomas Wentworth Higginson to the poet Emily Dickinson). With all this adulation from the media, Roger had no shortage of collectors. Camp John Hay in Baguio, for instance had purchased for their cottages all original Roger San Miguel impressionist paintings of Filipino scenes.

Sayaw Series 1, 2014 | Oil on Canvas | 30” x 24”

24 ROGER SAN MIGUEL : SEASONS OF LIFE

Sayaw Series 2, 2014 | Oil on Canvas | 30” x 24”

CONSIDERING HIS OPTIONS It was the foreign market, however, which showed an even greater appreciation for his works. When Martial Law was declared in 1972, Roger was forced to reassess his situation in the light of the country’s crumbling economy and the political turmoil in the land. By then Roger had a growing family he had to support. (When still single, he had once posed to himself a critical choice : Fame, for which pursuit he would deny himself marriage, or family. It is obvious which one he chose. With his ever supportive wife, Mercy and five children, Romer, Reynor, Ruben, Ryan and Marianella, now grownups and professionals, Roger had made the right choice. Fame would come at the right time.) With grim determination, he decided to fly to the United States to consider his options. While at the American Embassy, Roger was spotted by a consul who used to visit his Mabini gallery during lunch breaks and who had become a friend. As in any situation of need or distress, it’s a case of “who-you-know”. Forthwith, and without any difficulty, Roger was granted a B12 visa. Arriving in Los Angeles, Roger was guided around by a Filipino resident. Thus did he brave to show his works, doing the rounds of posh and plush art galleries of Beverly Hills. Ever resourceful and prolific, Roger had executed, right there in America, several canvases using a palette knife, an instrument which he had already mastered.

To his relief and elation, the galleries liked and purchased his works. One of these purchased works --- a little boy running merrily with colorful balloons in hand --- he would proudly see in the display window of the top dealer, the Aaron Brothers Gallery. With the salability factor of his works confirmed, the gallery had once brought rolls and rolls of canvas to his apartment for the artist to paint on. At that time, however, Roger had already decided to come back to his country.

Pag-aaruga, 2014 | Oil on Canvas | 16” x 12”

Pagmamahal ng Ina, 2014 | Oil on Canvas | 16” x 12”

FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINe 25

“YOU LOOK LIKE AN ARTIST” The foreign market was partial to brilliant tropical colors that are always awash in our Philippine landscapes. Thus it can be said with pride that in numerous American and European homes, the lively and glowing paintings of the Filipino artist continue to shine forth in their living rooms. Indeed, it was at the back of one of his paintings brought to Israel where an art dealer, an American Jew by the name of Michael Kroner, was able to get his name. As was the artist’s custom, all his canvases were stamped at the back with this address and contact number. So determined was Kroner to meet Roger that, in a matter of days, he had flown to Manila and stayed at the Manila Hotel, from where he contacted Roger and arranged to meet each other in the hotel lobby. In a place teeming with Caucasian foreigners, Roger knew he would be hard put to identify the art dealer. But there was no need for concern : it was the dealer immediately identified the artist, whose face he had never seen. Said Michael Kroner to Roger : “ You’re the one that looked like an artist!”

A thorough professional, Kroner, who wanted an exclusive business arrangement with Roger, had prepared a contract between the two parties. Thence for several years did Roger supply the paintings which Kroner presented as Roger’s solo exhibitions in America and Europe. It is no surprise that these days certain works of Roger San Miguel appear in several American auction houses, just like National Artist Fernando Amorsolo, whose early patrons were the Americans in Manila, who after their term of service in the country, had brought back Roger’s artworks to their homeland.

After Michael Kroner, other foreign dealers, such as the Spektrum Gallery in Sweden, Jurgen Wohlgemuth of Munich, Germany, and Ben Ben-Ari and Ludy Quintos of New York, sought out the artworks of Roger San Miguel. All played significant roles in popularizing Roger’s works in the world market.

BALI : HIGH ON ART The other providential meeting at 1114 A. Mabini was with Cornelius Choy, or “Cornie” the owner of Bamboo Gallery in Bali Indonesia. As it turned out, Cornie was a business colleague of the daughter of artist J. Elizalde Navarro, who in the future would be posthumously declared National Artist. It was Navarro’s daughter Pearl who would facilitate their meeting. As a regular purchaser or Roger’s paintings, Cornie was able to sell fifty of his Philippine paintings to the Indonesians. Cornie also invited him to visit Bali. “It’s about time”, he said. The Indonesian artists, who had already seen Roger’s works, were impressed by his works, then already being acquired by top Indonesian collectors and museums, were keen to meet the Filipino artist whose paintings were hanging side-by-side with those of the Indonesians. More memorably, through this Balinese sojourn, Roger made the friendship of Navarro the first of Cornie’s “Resident Artists Program”, who also came on regular visits to Bali. (The other was the Malaysian watercolorist Chang Fee-Ming). Indeed, the brilliant colors of Bali ablaze in their costumes, their exotic dances based on Hindu mythology, and the resounding music of the gamelan, the brassy and percussive Indonesian instruments, revitalized the art of Navarro, even as Roger was inspired to be working with an acknowledged master. In this writer’s coffeetable book on National Artist J. Elizalde Navarro, published after his death in 1999, we recorded Cornie’s memories :

26 ROGER SAN MIGUEL : SEASONS OF LIFE

That trip cemented their friendship. They shared the same small studio, divided between the two. It was so funny to watch them work. Mr. Navarro is tense while working. While Roger is most relaxed. He sings the songs of Nat King Cole. Then his voice would go flat.

And there would be laughter.

I felt there was a bond between them. You see these two artists working back to back. Each had to step back-- to look at the work. But they never bumped against each other.

Although Mr. Navarro and San Miguel painted in different styles, they were appreciative of each other’s work. Both came from UST. Though Mr. Navarro was the senior artist, there was no rivalry between them.

“Welcome Dance” at the Artist’s Residence in Ubud, Indonesia

San Miguel addressed Mr. Navarro as “Boss”. Both Navarro’s and Roger’s paintings, it can said without undue pride, are among the finest on exhibit in Bali’s museums. It is worth mentioning, therefore, the fondest dream of National Artist Carlos “Botong” B. Francisco, which was to visit Bali in his lifetime. This, sadly never did, dying relatively young from consumption. Were he alive to see the Balinese works of his two Filipino countrymen, “ Botong” would surely have felt vicariously fulfilled.

After the blessing, 2014 Oil on Canvas | 48” x 24” Reunion of the Saturday Group at Le Souffle in the mid-90s : (From left, standing) Virgilio Aviado, Enrique Velasco, Nonoy Marcelo, Silvana Diaz, Allan Cosio, Alfredo Roces, Ivi Avellana-Cosio, Glenn Bautista, Raul Isidro, Manny Baldemor, Ed Castrillo, Ephraim Samson, Romulo Galicano. (Clockwise from left, seated) Roger San Miguel, Romulo Olazo, BenCab, Edgar Doctor, Justine Nuyda, Rod Paras-Perez, Lino Severino.

ESTEEMED BY FELLOW ARTISTS In his own country, Roger is held in high esteem by artists with whom Roger enjoys a warm fellowship and camaraderie, such as Alfredo Roces, Ephraim Samson, Raul Isidro, Allan Cosio, Tiny Nuyda, Pandy Aviado, National Artist BenCab and many others. Indeed, there was a time when an artist was needed to recreate the missing pair of Fernando Amorsolo murals at the Metropolitan Theater. The murals depicted Philippine Music, titled “Awit” and dance, titled “Sayaw”. Believed to have been stolen during the theater’s many years

FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINe 27

of sad neglect, and to this day its whereabouts is unknown, the mural needed a competent re-creator to bring back into existence the glory of Amorsolo’s masterpiece. The honor went to Roger, who had to depend on the photographs of the mural in the Amorsolo book. After working on the mural for months, Roger finally unveiled a mirror-image of “Sayaw”, as if the mural had never been lost. Fernando Amorsolo himself would have applauded.

Amorsolo’s “Sayaw” recreated by Roger San Miguel

One Man Show in Munich, Germany Sponsored by Jurgen Wohlgemuth (1986)

~ A long-time resident in BF Paranaque, Roger was among the “founding fathers” of the Artists Gallery , which opened in 1983. Together with Roger in this venture were National Artist Cesar Legaspi, El Jamlang, Raul Isidro, Raul Lebajo, Tiny Nuyda and Ephraim Samson, all residents within the subdivision. The idea was to give the artists an opportunity to be involved in the business aspect of art. It was impelled by the realization that certain gallery owners were taking undue advantage of artists. It was also high time that a burgeoning South of Manila needed its own cultural scene and an awakening of its residents to the beauty and humanizing value of art.

PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A PORTRAITIST A word must be said in edgewise about Roger’s skill as a portraitist. Skill is a given, indeed, a “must”, this ability to render the likeness of an individual. In this, Roger’s talent is in spades, having done the portraits of three National Artists, namely, J. Elizalde Navarro, BenCab and Napoleon Abueva. In fact, in one large canvas, Roger assembled the collective portraits of over fifty Filipino artists, from the slickly pomaded Juan Luna down to the long - stressed Bohemian, Pandy Aviado. As well, Roger has done the portraits of a young statesman, Ninoy Aquino, and the founder of Iglesia ni Cristo Felix Manalo, in a portrait-within-a-portrait, with his progeny the late Erano Manalo. Illustrious businessmen with their families, and society dowagers in their elegant gowns, loom from his canvases, evidence of his dexterity with the palette knife. Such portraits bring back memories of Roger’s early years when he had painted a la Rembrandt. In the book Art and Artists, edited by Sir David Piper, one reads : “Even though portraits were largely commissioned as status symbols, this did not prevent artists of the caliber of Leonardo, Titian , El Greco, Velasquez and Rembrandt from showing remarkable insights into the personalities of their sitters --- there is no feeling that these men were overwhelmed by the social position of their clients”. In riposte, wonders: might Roger’s sitters, with their own social position, have been the ones overwhelmed by his artistic skills?

28 ROGER SAN MIGUEL : SEASONS OF LIFE

Portraits of Jeremias “Jerry” Elizalde Navarro, 1995 | Oil on Canvas | 48” x 24”

Sisters, 2015 | Oil on Canvas | 35” x 31 1/2”

Paghahanda | Oil on Canvas

SEASON OF PLENTY Now, in his Paranaque studio , one finds Roger San Miguel working on his latest works for a scheduled solo exhibition, titled “Seasons of Life”, at the SM Art Center. Organized by Gallerie CMG, the show is bound to take the art scene by surprise, mainly because Roger had not been heard of these past so many years. His friend from Ateneo de Naga, the late photographer Frankie Patriarca, had written in the early years of his career: “ If Roger San Miguel needs an introduction, it is because he seems deliberate in escaping the limelight. Unlike the moth who rushes unto the light for that brief glorious moment, Roger hides in the safety of a self-made limbo. Perhaps, justifiably so, for he creates his own bursts of light”. When a few of his works were exhibited by Gallerie CMG at the recent Manila Art Fair, they were snapped up on the very first day, delighting his previous collectors who had lost track of the artist. In midst of the urban sprawl of a crowded subdivision, Roger’s residence and studio exude a welcome rustic air, with the low hanging spread of branches sheltering the several art pieces awaiting completion even as the oil pigments take time to dry before the master’s next touch.

Love, 2013 | Oil on Canvas | 40” x 40”

FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINe 29

TIMELESS SUBJECTS Already, while scanning the works, one glimpses a streaming narrative in the landscapes of gardens and fields, where nature discloses images of pregnancy and birth. Think of it as a season of conception, here culminating in the classic Mother and Child theme, which one can regard, too, as a season of love. In a work that brings the presence of the father, one admires the immutable Filipino theme of “Mag-anak”, auguring a season of family unity and harmony. For Roger, these are the timeless subjects of the Filipino artist. He renders them all in a fulsome fusion of Impressionism and Realism, where the brush strokes are daubed in flecks and layers, revealing the richness of underpainting, which in turn the eye mixes. It is an approach to painting that allows the artist the freedom to create a sense of reality, not curtailed by a predetermined and inflexible composition, while at the same time delighting the audience, with the artist taking us on an exhilarating course of painting. Interestingly, Roger San Miguel conflates the various genres of portraiture, landscape and still life painting. He is proud to say that he does not use or depend on photographs for his composition. Everything to him is a product of perception and imagination, which always communicate what is real and true.

LEARNING FROM NATURE A review of Roger’s London show at the Madden Gallery (1973) merited a notice from critic Barbara Wright which was published in the magazine Arts Review, thus: “This is the London debut of a young Filipino artist who has already shown all over the world, from Australia to North and South America by way of Norway. In his large oils, the interplay of color and rhythm is striking. Many portray group of girls with handsome, stylized, triangular faces, whose luscious curves sometimes find their counterpart in the curves of the decorated jars surrounding them. San Miguel uses glowing reds and blues to great effect, and his figures are often dappled with the green leaves of the forest, and interwoven with a multitude of birds. There is occasionally a hint of Byzantine mosaic, and in Filipino Family, the mother has the calm serenity and beauty of a Madonna. Flowers are everywhere , sometimes interwoven into composition, sometimes just as flower pieces, but these are a far cry from those we often see in which the flowers seem never to have existed out. The emotive power of Roger’s works draw heavily from his kinship and intimacy with nature, which is never subordinated to the human figures, treating it as mere background or setting, but is acknowledged as the source of the painting’s essential pleasure.

Sunflowers, 2013 | Oil on Canvas | 48” x 24”

30 ROGER SAN MIGUEL : SEASONS OF LIFE

How true are the words of the great Romantic poet William Wordsworth that there are paintings where “the passions of men are incorporated with the beautiful and permanent forms of nature”. Roger’s rendition of the “Mother and Child” theme successfully evade what J. Elizalde Navarro disdained as “pretty pictures”. The viewer always gets the feeling that nature, embracing the figures, is in the state of rapture, intensifying the stillness of the scene, observing the intimate nuances of affection of the Mother for the Child, lovingly proffering a tiny bird or the Santo Nino.

Affectionately, Roger remembers to this day his own mother’s advice: to learn his colors and their harmonious combinations from nature, from leaves and flowers. This comes from a deep insight, for it was no less than Marc Chagall, who once remarked, “When I judge art, I take my painting and put it next to a God-made object like a tree or flower. If it clashed, it is not art”. Mother---and Mother Nature---always know best.

Season for Gold, 2015| Oil on Canvas | 48” x 60

In this, multi-figural works are the large-scale harvest scenes, fittingly titled “ Season for Gold ”, and “Season for Yellows”. While both subjects are Amorsolo-esque, the artist imbues his works with a sense of activity and dynamism, in terms of composition and paint handling, distinguished by the multitudinous patches of colors visibly vibrating before our eyes. In “Season for Yellows”, the hue crystalizes and transmits the luscious ripening of tropical fruits like mangoes, melons, bananas and papayas, while “Season of Gold”, with its central figure of a woman, her head wrapped in bandana and her hands cradling bountiful sheaves of golden rice stalks, is heraldic in its celebration of the Filipino way of life.

In an article titled “Painter of All Trades, Master of All”, artist Tiny Nuyda paid homage to his friend: “At the threshold of our century stands the art of painter Roger San Miguel, who imposes on us a strong belief that rendering the simplest objects, realistic, abstract or non-objective, can be a summit of perfection showing the concentrated qualities and power of a great mind. It is in Roger San Miguel’s constructed activity, his talent or impressing a work with feeling and the qualities of thought that gives humanity to art; and this quality is an unlimited range of themes and elegant form ... His innovations amaze even the masters of the time”.

FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINe 31

Sunflowers, 2015 | Oil on Canvas | 36” x 36”

THE CHALLENGE OF TIME In our art scene that has seen and embraced the procession and progression of various modern idioms, such as Surrealism and Cubism, Abstraction and Minimalism, it is a comfort to know that there are still artists who remain votaries and torchbearers of classic Philippine subject matter. Still with brush and palette in hand, Roger San Miguel, from out of his absence and seclusion, has nothing more to prove when it comes to painting. Now in his mid-seventies, Roger’s challenge is not with Art... but with Time. And the instrument he knows best to wield against its inexorable march is art itself... which is impervious to time.

And thus, the place where all his artistic narrative started, the aforementioned Buhi whose famous lake is the site of the world’s smallest fish, will henceforth also be known as a place that gave birth to a most accomplished Filipino artist, whose works, like ambassadors of Philippine goodwill, are proudly scattered to the four winds.

Roger San Miguel : Take a bow!

32 ROGER SAN MIGUEL : SEASONS OF LIFE

GALLERY ON FOCUS

Espacio Manila and Artphile Gallery are twin spaces that foster the artisanship of Filipino virtuosos ranging from conventional to contemporary visual masterpiece. These two galleries celebrate the intricate beauty of Philippine Art, cultivating both fledging and prominent creators who significantly contribute to the local art scene.

Albeit both serve as an avenue for various aesthetic sensibilities, Espacio Manila ventures as an exploration for the new media and contemporary expressions; while Artphile promotes the perennial pursuits of traditional artistic works.

These two galleries continuously thrive since the inauguration in 2018, successfully hosting group exhibits by various artists as well as the Cebuano artists group lead by Orley Ypon, and the known contemporary art group, the KUTA Artist Group. They also held an exhibit for a cause by a three-man show between Bangladesh - Pervaj Hasan Rigan and Nabila Nabi - and the Philippines - Roy Espinosa. Espacio Manila also hosted Freedom and Love 2019 Plein Air Live Sketching with the visiting artists from all around the world. The twin galleries have been actively participating in ManilArt where they showcase the works of Roger San Miguel, Jean Govinda Marquesto, Mayi Penaflorida, Pope Dalisay, Chito Borja and talents of their home-grown artists.

Artphile and Espacio Manila is located at the 2nd level of Festival Mall’s Extension Wing, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. For more information, email us at galeriecmg@gmail.com or reach us at 8 829 0831, 0998 964 0832 or 0917 829 3961.

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FERDINAND DOCTOLERO’s

rituals of communion and healing

by Jonathan Libarios Rondina

For his winning piece in the 1995 Asean Art Awards, artist Ferdinand R. Doctolero depicted half-masked Filipino icons amidst a milieu of sociopolitical upheaval. The face masks predated the SARS outbreak in 2002 but even then already alluded to a multitude of social ills that paralleled biological pandemics.

Doctolero’s acute sense of observation and foresight has since earned for him multiple citations from the Philippine Art Awards; recognition in the Metrobank National Painting Competition; and a Unesco NomaConcours Prize for Picture Book Illustration.

Despite these accolades and the high regard by his peers who fondly call him “Doc,” he has opted to remain low-key, participating only in the occasional group shows here and there, and mounting the perfunctory solo exhibits every now and then. Over the years his love for painting has to share equal billing with his two other passions: family life and teaching.

A member of the Fine Arts faculty of the Technological University of the Philippines, Doctolero is mentor to some of the country’s emerging crop of promising young visual artists. His staple prescription for his students is simple but succinct: “Find your style, find your voice.”

That’s a tall order for a generation of artists who are inundated with a barrage of images and influences 24/7.

It’s a prescription that, even Doctolero himself admits, is learned over a long period of time.

“My style has changed over the years,” he shares. “But everything I’ve done, all that I have experienced, bear upon my work.”

In “Celebration,” his solo exhibit on 2008, Doctolero showcases a vibrant collection of new paintings that echo what can only be a richly colored life, tapestries woven from an amalgam of experiences, both personal and communal.

Here, Doctolero unveils wide-eyed, full-faced images with mouths shaped like ribbons, as though blowing a kiss or whistling a tune. There is a buoyant energy that leaps from these canvases.

34 FERDINAND DOCTOLERO

4 Kurtina Kite, 2014

Alalay, 2020 / Acrylic, pastel & charcoal on canvas / 2 x 3 ft

Sagwan, 2014 / Acrylic on Canvas / 2 x 2 ft

“Mother Mary of the Bible, Amen” Acrylic and charcoal on canvas 16 x 20 in , 2012

FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINe 35

The first series— “Kaarawan,” “Kainan,” “Pasyal” and “Luto”— depict age-old familial rituals. The second, including the pieces “Tuli” and “Gradusiyon,” pay tribute to rites of passage.

Doctolero renders these images in flowing lines and curves, suggesting life, energy, communion and circularity.

In his imagination the seeming chaos of the tangled thread bespeaks of the communion of the crowd. There are no strangers here in these entangled bodies that share cramped spaces; only joyous banter and the promise and bounty of life.

Personal and spiritual

In the third and last series, Doctolero enters the realms of the personal and the spiritual. “Sayaw” and “Sayawan” are his interpretations of the recently rediscovered healing dance of the ancient babaylan.

Those who have undergone this “inner dance,” a trance-like ritual akin to shamans of old, attest to involuntary rhythmic convulsions, visions of color and, afterward, a feeling of cleansing and joy.

Doctolero’s backdrop of hot hues, those seemingly random splashes of red, blue and black, appears to be renditions of this trance-like state, providing viewers with a glimpse of the profound spiritual turmoil that prefigures peace.

“Celebration” signals Doctolero’s renewed energy for art-making, a welcome development for a gifted artist whose career in art has been sidetracked by life’s many rituals.

from Mukha Series, 2020 / Acrylic on Lawanit Board

“Sundot Kulangot” Acrylic on canvas banner. 2015

36 FERDINAND DOCTOLERO

Nasaan ang Pulutan? (Where is the Appetizer?), / 121.92 x 121.92cm Acrylic, pastel and charcoal on canvas. 2010

FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINe 37

1

CHITO BORJA

2

1. “Alter”.

Base: 14.75 x 12.75 in / Height: 21.5 in with glass case gel coat, fiber, resin and staple wires. 2021 2. “Propagate”.

Base: 18.75 x 11.75 in / Height: 20.75 in with glass case gel coat, fiber, resin and staple wires. 2021 3. “Bloom”.

Base: 15.5 x 14.75 in / Height: 26.5 in with glass case gel coat, fiber, resin and staple wires. 2021 4. “Become”.

Base: 21.75 x 10.75 in / Height: 15 in with glass case gel coat, fiber, resin and staple wires. 2021 4

3

1

2

3

4

CHRISTIAN REGIS 1. “Viaje Lang, Kaya Pa Yan”.

24 x 24 inches. Oil and acrylic on canvas.

2021 2. “Pasada Arangkada”.

24 x 24 inches. Oil and acrylic on canvas.

2021 3. “Buena Manong Pasada”.

24 x 24 inches. Oil and acrylic on canvas.

2021 4. “Magdamagang Pasada”.

26 x 16 inches. Oil and acrylic on canvas.

2021

38 EXHIBIT ON FOCUS : MUSING

A

B

C

D

NIKKO PELAEZ A. “Ang Katotohanan”. 24 x 18 inches.

Acrylic on canvas with shoes 6 Mens. 2020

1

B. “Ang Lahat”. 24 x 18 inches.

Acrylic on canvas with shoes 7 Mens. 2020 C. “Ang Pagmamahal”. 24 x 18 inches.

Acrylic on canvas with shoes 10.5 Mens. 2020 D. “Mga Karanasan”.

24 x 48 inches. Acylic on canvas. 2021

NELSON RICAHUERTA 1. “Rest”.

36 x 48 inches. Oil on canvas. 2021 2. “Untitled”.

48 x 36 inches. Oil on canvas. 2021 3. “Untitled”.

48 x 48 inches. Oil on canvas. 2021 4. “Teddy in Red”.

36 x 24 inches. Oil on canvas. 2021 2

3

4

FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINe 39

THE FUSION ART OF SIR LEVI YU

by Cid Reyes

Tired of the same old dinner and snack fare? For the adventurous, there’s always fusion cuisine to perk up the jaded taste buds. Fusion cuisine is defined as “the blending of culinary worlds to create new hybrid dishes.”

The French chefs, and Wolfgang Puck, are largely credited for starting this trend when they combined traditional French food with Asian cuisine, and hence, as the French expression goes, “Apres moi, le deluge.” After me, the flood. Except that in this case, it’s the food: as in the food revolution.

Just the names of the dishes will tell you so much: Tex-Mex, sushi-buritto, sushi-shaped donut, pad thai taco, tandoori pizza, wasabi-risotto, the Vietnamese banh mi with the French baguette. And then there’s Filipino cuisine, which was Asian Fusion before “Asian Fusion” came to be.

Artistic Influence

As in cuisine, so in art.

Fusion in the visual arts is essentially the influence of one artist’s work over another. A more fancy term would be syncretism, which is the combination of different, usually contrasting, aesthetics and style. Would Picasso have conceived of Cubism without African sculpture and the French artist Cezanne? Could Van Gogh have created his later works had he not looked intently at the Japanese ukiyo-e prints? Closer to home, the linearity of the works of National Artist Arturo Luz, for instance, was, admitted by the artist himself, due to the influence of the Swiss artist Paul Klee.

Witness the similarity between National Artist Ang Kiukok’s “The Thinking Man” and the Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamin’s “Waiting.” Or the resemblance between the style of National Artist Jose Joya and that of the Italian Afro Basaldella - as claimed by the late critic Dr. Rod Paras-Perez.

40 THE FUSION ART OF SIR LEVI YU

The vaunted “transparent cubism” of National Artist Vicente Manansala’s masterpieces, could not have hovered into view without Picasso and Braque. The late Lee Aguinaldo went through a “Pollock Period,” while the easel paintings of National Artist Botong Francisco are “Gauguin-esque.”

Unfortunately, many Filipino artists are offended if you so much as mention their obvious influences - as if one had caught them with their hand inside the cookie jar.

Appropriation Art

In contemporary times, the matter of influence has been brought to an extreme degree, and alarmingly with tremendous license, in the so-called appropriation art - “the use of pre-existing objects or images with little or no transformation to them.” The Pope of Pop, Andy Warhol, was also The Great Appropriator - starting with his breakthrough works, the Campbell’s Soup silkscreen series, done insouciantly with no permission from the company. ( The Campbell Company did not sue, realizing perhaps that Warhol’s mega - famous art was tantamount to incalculable media exposure.) For his iconic “Marilyn”, Warhol used a publicity shot from the movie star’s 1953 film “Niagara.” Pushing his luck too far, Warhol cribbed the original image of his most popular works, the Flowers Series, from a photography magazine.The photographer of the hibiscus, Patricia Caulfield, filed a lawsuit against Warhol, who was then forced to pay royalty.

In turn, Robert Rauschenberg nicked Warhol’s silkscreen process. All is fair in art and war.

Fetishizing a Style

Today, the most notorious Appropriation artist in America is Mike Bidlo. He makes exact copies of works of Picasso, Matisse, Brancusi, Duchamp, Kandinsky, Leger, Man Ray and - the tables are turned! - Warhol’s “Marilyns.”

Hereabouts, possibly the Filipino artist who has brazenly practiced appropriation with a daring self-confidence is Levi Yu. Son of the Cubist painter William Yu, Levi fetishizes the styles of famous Filipino painters who have achieved a distinct, distinguished look, a style that is immediately recognizable - what we might call a brand or a trademark. Some people might call this process “channeling,” which has spiritual resonances whereby someone uses his hand as a medium of communication, a hand to be used by the ghost of a dead person except that in Yu’s case, the idolized artists are still very much around.

Regard, for instance, that in the artworks of Yu, there are at least two, even three, artistic styles that coalesce, interfuse, producing a hybrid that has been distilled into one. Yu - mothlike -is drawn towards the flame of the artists’ celebrity and auction record-breaking fame. Now a continually growing body of Yu’s work - by turns impressively and curiously being sought by collectors - merges the familiar linearity of National Artist Arturo Luz with the omnipresent circle device of Juvenal Sanso. And in Yu’s recent fascination, the “Toledo” landscapes, done by the globe-trotting artist Manny Baldemor. ( In the minds of artists, Toledo, the city in Spain, in the Castile-La Mancha region, will forever be synonymous with El Greco, the Greek painter named Domenicos Theotokopoulos.) Of late, Yu has also depicted tourist spots like the Great Wall of China and its mystical mountains, as well as Santorini in Greece.

FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINe 41

Nothing to Luz

In these hybrid paintings, Yu reverentially fuses the zigzagging stun of Luz-like lines, suggestive of a mountain range, upon which, through the interstices, he reproduces the typical Baldemor panoramic sight of structures and edifices. In execution, however, Yu differs in that his lines “zip” energetically across as if in white heat, while Luz - who once said, “I have the patience of a spider.” - punctiliously renders his multitude of lines inch by inch, visible in the stop-start of the nib of his refilling pen. Yu then whips the whole design with a crisp, tight snap through the presence of the Sanso orb. As Sanso says of this trademark, it matters not whether it stands for the sun or the moon. The orb was essential in conveying that his flowers, foliage, and vegetation were not underwater, as often misunderstood. As the critic-artist Alfredo Roces observed: Filipino artists take recourse to the circle whenever they are confronted by an empty wide space. Indeed, as a graphic device, the circle can’t be beat. To his credit, Yu is a skilled draftsman, with a finesse of execution, and a gift for manual dexterity, but, alas, brought to bear on the art of mimicry.

Sabel meets Malang

As if to further challenge our critical openness, Yu serves up another explicit hybrid - this time the iconic subject of National Artist BenCab, trussed up in the image of the late, esteemed Malang’s “Woman.” In Levi Yu’s work, the brushwork is furious, agitated, limning the trademark swaddled drapery of “Sabel”, while the visage belongs not to the famous scavenger but to Malang’s endearing face with the elongated neck. The viewer may well ask: what justifies anyone to copy, indeed, to commandeer, to usurp, the hard-won identity of another artist? Is the lionized artist expected to be pleased or amused, complemented that, as the saying goes, imitation is the highest form of flattery? Is Levi Yu’s art an act of homage? Of parody? Or is it just plain - go ahead, say it - expensive rip-off?

42 THE FUSION ART OF SIR LEVI YU

Pluralistic Art World

On the other hand, in defending his work, Yu might retort that in the postmodernist age, in a pluralistic art world, anything goes. That barriers are meant to be broken; that tradition and societal decorum can be transgressed.

Moreover, he might claim that his real subject is not the imitation of somebody else’s subject or style - that would be the superficial view - but rather the investigation of the real nature of a so-called masterpiece, the interrogation of the essence of authorship and originality. Indeed, in the West, appropriation has ascended to the rarefied realm of Conceptual art, To his detractors, Levi Yu is the poor man’s Luz, the beggar’s BenCab - and yet his coveted and marketable works are not exactly going at pauper’s prices. Doubtless, the art of Levi Yu raises a conundrum, a difficult, exasperating problem and question, and on the instant, will neither be resolved - nor so casually dismissed.

Meantime: anyone for Jamaican patty?

FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINe 43

How to Make Art Full Time and Still Pay Your Bills

by Artists Network Staff

Becoming a Full-Time Artist Many of us dream of becoming a full-time artist and having that art generate a sustainable income. Yet the reality of what it takes to make art full time is sometimes hard to grasp. How do we take that leap? And, what if we have others whose livelihood depends on our income? Let’s face it, oftentimes it’s not just us taking the plunge into being a full-time artist: They are diving in with us.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Below, two successful full-time artists share their advice on how to transition into making art as the only source of income. Enjoy!

44 HOW TO MAKE ART FULL TIME AND STILL PAY YOUR BILLS

Transitioning

Karin Nelson successfully made the leap from an artist with a traditional career to an artist with art as her main career. Working with her husband, they took a business-like approach to her work transition, focusing on the financial aspect of the career change. “One thing we did was look at our fixed expenses and made a few adjustments,” explains Nelson. “That can be as simple as selling a car with a high car payment and buying a good used car. If you can, you may be able to work with one car.” Nelson’s point is an important one to note. We can’t predict the unexpected: a broken furnace, a building going co-op or needing a new refrigerator. But we can look at, and budget for, our fixed expenses and see where savings can be made.

This brings up another crucial aspect: If you have one, getting your spouse or significant other on board with the idea. Unless your partner is an artist, he or she may see things differently than you, and this is a good thing. No, it’s a great thing.

Red Awnings, McKay Tower, by Karin Nelson, acrylic on canvas

Understanding the Business of Art

Art is art. But being a successful artist is business. It’s imperative to look at this transition from a financial point of view. “It took a little working to get my husband on board with the idea. He takes a different approach to things — seeing what may not work,” says Nelson. “His worst-case scenario approach balances my idealized and more intuitive approach to things.” In the end, she continues, “I was able to see the change from his point of view and address his concerns. This balance in our personalities allowed us to look at the exciting possibilities of my career transition with a critical, facts-only eye on the details of such a move.”

FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINe 45

Photo by Getty Images

To make the transition from a two-income to a one-income household easier and eliminate the element of surprise, the couple took the change for a test drive. “We practiced living with our belts considerably tightened for a couple months, to see how much less we could feasibly spend in a given month on discretionary expenses,” notes Nelson. “The results were very encouraging: We proved we could spend a lot less.” And having a positive attitude throughout the process certainly helped. “I think it’s important that you approach the budget changes with a fun attitude of adventure,” Nelson says encouragingly. “Attitude definitely makes all the difference.” An added bonus of the experiment: The savings made during the test was set aside for use when Nelson transitioned to art full-time.

Letting Go of Financial Freedom When both spouses work, finances are more likely to be stable. And when both partners work and manage their daily expense independently of the other (meals, entertainment, clothing) there is a lot of freedom.

What happens when you rely solely on your other half for day-to-day pocket money and other expenses?

Letting go of that freedom is difficult, as artist Konni Jensen recalls. “I made my own money; and if I wanted that new handbag, it was not an issue. We had the bills paid and I had complete freedom with the rest of my income. It was great. But when I left my traditional job to start my full-time art career I had to work with his, now our money, for everything,” says Jensen. “This took some getting used to. I learned to separate needs from wants, rely on another person and be completely transparent with my finances — in fact, we both had to.”

46 HOW TO MAKE ART FULL TIME AND STILL PAY YOUR BILLS

Remembering by Konni Jensen, acrylic on canvas

Before you decide to set your sites on being a full-time artist, set some solid footing in place.

• Make a budget. Record everything you spend money on, everything. Then look at what you can continue to afford on one income, and for how long.

• Consider the cost of art. Make a list of what you buy and how much you spend to create your art. It’s a business expense, but for a while, your partner may be covering that expense. It needs to be in the household budget.

• Keep the time clock rolling. Just because you have 24 hours to devote to your art doesn’t mean you should. Family time, personal time and time with your spouse must be preserved. If you are accustomed to having dinner every day as a family, will that change? How does your family feel about that?

• Know your priorities. Now that you’re not reporting to an office, does your partner expect you to pick up more chores and errands around the house? Discuss with your partner, and set clear expectations about time management: when you will work and when you will help around the house.

Making Ends Meet

When you are completely honest about your finances, you don’t have to guess when you will run low on funds. You will know. Beyond eliminating a lot of unnecessary stress, knowing your long-term financial timeline allows you to prepare, rather than react. How long are you both comfortable relying on one income?

If that date arrives and the art has not contributed to the finances, what is the next move? Long story short: Go for it! But before you do take the leap to being a full-time artist, be completely honest and open with your family about the finances and time expectations. Having everyone on board with facts will make this an exciting and, hopefully, not too stressful time in your art journey. Onward, artists! Article contributions by Jennifer Smith

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EXHIBIT AROUND THE METRO ONLINE: Do It (MCAD Manila)

Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Manila MANILA | PHILIPPINES MAY 13, 2021 - AUG 15, 2021 The Museum of Contemporary Art and Design ( MCAD ), in collaboration with Independent Curators International (ICI) New York, will launch Do It (MCAD Manila) online on 13 May 2021, an exhibition where written instructions by artists are interpreted anew.

How this project reimagines the exhibition format as flexible and open-ended is a result of a 1993 conversation in Paris among curator Hans Ulrich Obrist and artists Christian Boltanski and Bertrand Lavier, and has become the world’s longest running curatorial project since. MCAD joins more than 50 institutions that have re-created the exhibition and will hold its first appearance in the Philippines.

In this iteration, MCAD partners with local artists, community groups and its online audience. As a response to global stay at home orders, Do It (MCAD Manila) will run both online and on-site. Do It ( MCAD Manila ) launches online through the museum’s social media channels and site on 13 May 2021. The public is invited to participate by responding to instructions from different artists, which will be released by MCAD throughout the exhibition run. Do It (MCAD Manila) invites local artists MM Yu, Madge Reyes, Lourd de Veyra, Manix Abrera, Manny Montelibano, Mark Salvatus, and chef Miko Calo for a special presentation in interpreting instructions by Cao Fei, Jerome Bel, Rivane Neuenschwander, Liam Gillick, Hannah Weinberger, Robert Ashley, and others.

Lilia Lao | Endearment

Finale Art File MANILA | PHILIPPINES Jun 11 - July 7, 2021 | Upstairs Gallery Thru persistent dedication to art making, Lilia Lao has gently captured the texture and atmosphere that surround everyday life. Her affectionate attention finds irreplaceable and unrepeatable expressions in the mundane.

Lao’s long-awaited solo exhibition comprises a selection of the paintings made between 2012 and 2021. As the artist describe subjects in the exhibition: “the objects and environments that inspire all over again,” the assembly of the works here present a series of renewed discoveries through the artist’s experimentation and reflection over the passage of time.

ONLINE: Kisame: Visions of Heaven on Earth.

Photographs of Ceiling Paintings from Bohol Colonial Churches Ayala Museum MAKATI | PHILIPPINES MAY 16, 2021 - AUG 31, 2021

In this Virtual Visit, Kisame brings heaven closer to earth through a photo exhibition of some of the most notable ceiling paintings found in 17 Churches from Bohol. Cocurated by Fr. Ted Torralba and Ken Esguerra, Kisame illustrates our heritage in the context of ecclesiastical art through photographs taken by Atty. Paquito Ochoa, Jr. These religious images are the remaining works of two pioneering Cebuano artists, Raymundo Francia and Canuto Avila, executed during the first half of the twentieth century.

48 EXHIBITS AROUND THE METRO

The word, “inspire” has its root in the Latin inspirare, meaning to breathe. The brush moves as the artist breathes, grasping the presence of air circulating in-between her and her subject. In a tranquil encounter with her subject, the artist receives energy to inhale and exhale. Lao’s artworks remind us of the preciousness of each breath that enables our lives.

The word spirit stems from the same root word as inspire.

Breathing enlivens the spirit within us. Listening to the natural rhythm of breathing is an exercise to reconnect with our self and the world around us. It is a practice to find eternity in each moment. In this exhibition, Lao invites us to immerse ourselves in the meditative process of her art making, she recognizes preciousness and beauty right in front of her. We are reminded that the spiritual dimension of art and life does not lie anywhere afar but here within us.

—Mayumi Hirano

A History of Struggle: Philippine Art Remembers 1521 Pinto Art Museum 30 May to 8 August 2021 (Online premier)

LYNYRD PARAS: Love is Greater than Fear of Death

West Gallery, Quezon City | PHILIPPINES 1 — 31 July 2021 Visitors are welcome by appointment only. To secure a slot, please contact us at +63 2 34110336

The exhibition A History of Struggle: Philippine Art Remembers 1521 organized by the Pinto Art Museum and curated by Patrick Flores responds to the contexts surrounding the commemoration of the 500 years of the first circumnavigation of the world through the works of Philippine contemporary artists. It will open on May 30, 2021. The exhibition threads through simultaneously local and global events such as Ferdinand Magellan’s voyage, the triumph of Lapu-Lapu, and the first Catholic Mass in Asia. Recalling these historical moments serves as an opportunity for the artists to interpret the implications of a fraught history in the pandemic present and the contemporary reflections evoked by it. Exploring social criticism, allegory, counter-history, alternative mythology, and other visual strategies, the artists for the exhibition offer diverse responses in the registers of a revisit and a projection. A History of Struggle prompts them to risk imagery and technique while remaining rooted in the artistic resources that have made them strongly placed to speculate creatively on this arduous history of struggle.

The exhibition rethinks ideas of discovery, conquest, and conversion in light of the meeting between the Spanish fleet of Magellan and the valiant inhabitants of the Visayas. Imelda Cajipe-Endaya’s work forwards a “pro-Malay prehistory” that rewrites the history of Christianity by tracing it to missionaries who sailed with traders during the Srivijaya and Madjapahit era. For her part, Lee Paje proposes an “alternative myth of the first encounter of our ancestors with the colonizers,” which for her “shaped the patriarchal society we live in today.” From his unique perspective, Norberto Roldan processes ideas of distance not only in relation to the vast seas that the circumnavigation of the world had crossed but also in terms of the distance between “colonial faith and the indigenous belief system.”

Some works reconfigure the intellectual framework from which this history is seen. Kidlat Tahimik revises it by citing the figure of Enrique de Malacca, Magellan’s Malay slave, as the main protagonist of the circumnavigation of the earth. Renz Baluyot and Iggy Rodriguez, on the other hand, portray this arrival from the vantage point of the local people: Rodriguez focuses on the fleet as an “ominous presence,” while Baluyot envisions the seascape of Homonhon as the inaugural scene of a protracted struggle.

Rounding out the rewriting and rethinking of history are alternative and speculative histories in the contributions of Dex Fernandez and Ernest Concepcion. Fernandez depicts “a 500-year-old hybrid sacred monster [that] inhabits every Catholic Filipino” conceived in the institution of Catholicism by the Spanish conquerors. Concepcion harnesses fantasy to speak of parallel earths, shamans, and “supernatural celestial god-beings” and a history of conquest that spans multiple space-time continua and a multiverse.

The sensibilities and sources of the artists included in this exhibition vary and embody a wide range of commitments. A History of Struggle enlivens this diversity to cast postcolonial Philippine history more decisively and translate this history to insightful artistic form.

Endings and Beginnings Various Artists Galerie Roberto MANILA | PHILIPPINES June 27, 2021 - July 12, 2021

Among the participating artists are Ambie Abaño, Alfredo Esquillo, Allan Balisi, Antipas Delotavo, Anton Del Castillo, Arturo Sanchez, Jr., Charlie Co, Cian Dayrit, Dex Fernandez, Dexter Sy, Doktor Karayom, Emmanuel Garibay, Ernest Concepcion, Iggy Rodriguez, Imelda Cajipe-Endaya, Julie Lluch, Kawayan De Guia, Kidlat Tahimik, Lee Paje, Leeroy New, Leonard Aguinaldo, Marcel Antonio, Norberto Roldan, Paolo Icasas, Renz Baluyot, Roberto Feleo, Rodel Tapaya, Rodney Yap, Romulo Galicano, Ronson Culibrina, Salvador Alonday, and Victor Balanon.

The exhibition will close on August 8, 2021.

FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINe 49

OLD REX BOOKSTORE

by Arnaldo Mirasol

In 1999, Leonard Aguinaldo, Nemi Miranda, Steve Santos, and I was commissioned by Rex Printing to do an artwork each for their 2000 calendar. It was a special year for them because it was Rex Bookstore’s 50th anniversary. I was asked to illustrate a 1950s scene of their original bookstore along Azcarraga (now C.M. Recto Avenue) in Quiapo.

I came up with the illustration above which took me around three weeks to finish. I don’t remember the exact size of this acrylic on paper piece, but it must be around 14 X 9 inches. This illustration is just a reconstruction of sorts. I never saw how the old Rex Bookstore looked like, nor was I given a photo of it as reference. What was provided me was just an old photo of the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Rey Fontelera, who are shown here manning the counter.

I just used my imagination and lots of research to come up with that scene. But the glass showcase and cash register are authentic. Rex still has them in their main office in Quezon City where I made sketches of them. The children in the picture are supposed to be students of my alma mater, Holy Child Catholic School in Tondo, as can be guessed by my schoolmates from their uniforms. The model for the boy was my older son Bahgee.

The books stacked on the table at the lower right hand corner are vintage school books which I have in my collection. I bought them from a bookshop along Recto Avenue way back in the early 1990s. Take note of the brownish book on top of the heap. That is Camilo Osias’ “Philippine Reader-Book Six”. I still have that book to this day, and I’m now rereading some stories from it. What is most remarkable about this book are the three or four illustrations done by Fernando Amorsolo.

I understand Adriano Natividad’s regret. Ads was the former assistant art director of Phoenix Publishing House. He has a Philippine Reader-Book One which has Amorsolo as its sole illustrator. One of Ads’ friends said that that book was much sought after by collectors, and would fetch a tidy sum if he decides to sell it.

But the problem is the book is no longer in mint condition, with many of the pictures cut out and the others colored with crayons by his grandchild.

Encouraged by Ads’ story, I returned to the bookshop where I bought my Philippine Reader hoping to find a Book One copy. I scoured the shelves in search of that book. The shop still has vintage books all right, but there is no longer any Philippine Reader.

50 OLD REX BOOKSTORE

5 artworks that celebrate Philippine Independence Day: reflecting on a revolution that ended colonial rule

by Alexandra Chaves

These works celebrate the Katipunan movement, which was started by revolutionaries to fight Spanish rule

The Bonifacio and Katipunan Revolution Monument. Alamy

This Friday, June 12, marks 122 years of Philippine independence from the Spanish Empire.

In 1898, the Philippine Revolution helped end more than 300 years of colonial rule which saw the introduction of Christianity and the seizure of lands in order to establish plantations for tobacco, abaca, sugar cane and coffee, which were then exported abroad.

The colonists also expanded their trade networks through the Manila Galleons, which carried exchanges of porcelain, silk, ivory spices and goods with New World silver, with items shipped from China to Mexico via the Philippines.

Though the Spanish colonisers faced many clashes with local populations over the years, it was a secret society of revolutionaries and intellectuals that eventually took them down.

Formed in 1892, the Kataastaasang, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, also known as the Katipunan or KKK, aimed to gain independence through rebellion.

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The revolution overlapped with the Spanish-American War, which tipped the scales against the Spanish forces and led to their withdrawal from the Philippines. On June 12, 1898, Filipino revolutionary and general Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the sovereignty of the Philippines.

It was a short-lived independence, as the US soon annexed the country, turning it into a US colony for almost the next five decades.

The Philippines eventually became an independent country in 1946.

Nevertheless, Philippine Independence Day in June remembers a crucial movement in history and was also celebrated through art, some created during the colonial period.

Here are a few notable works that tell the story of the Philippine Revolution and the country’s road to independence.

‘Spoliarium’ by Juan Luna The title of Juan Luna’s most well-known work refers to the basement of the Roman Colosseum, where the weapons and garments of dead or dying slave gladiators were removed. In the painting, Roman soldiers drag a wounded men across the floor as a group of men gather on the side.

Luna was also a political activist for the Philippine Revolution. The image serves as an allegory for the conditions of Filipinos under Spanish rule. On the far right of the painting is a weeping woman often interpreted as representing the “Mother Country” as she witnesses the plundering of her people.

Juan Luna’s ‘Spoliarium’ depicts slave gladiators being stripped of garments and armour by Roman soldiers.

VIa @tetbautista / Twitter

Standing at four metres high, the large-scale work greets visitors when they enter the National Museum of the Philippines in Manila. In 1884, the painting won a gold medal at the Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Exhibition of Fine Arts) in Madrid. It was not only considered a victory for the painter, Luna, but a demonstration of how Indios – the colonial term of indigenous Filipinos – could excel, too.

52 5 ARTWORKS THAT CELEBRATE PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY

‘Filipino Struggles Through History’ by Botong Francisco Declared a National Cultural Treasure, Botong Francisco’s work was commissioned in 1964 by the city government of Manila. It comprises a series of paintings depicting crucial events in Philippine history, from the arrival of Spaniards in the Philippines, the formation of the Katipunan, battles in the Philippine Revolution and eventual freedom from American rule.

Botong Francisco’s ‘Filipino Struggles Through History’, featuring 10 painted panels displayed at the National Museum of the Philippines, as seen in Fung Yu’s virtual tour of the installation. Fung Yu

Housed inside the National Museum of the Philippines’ Old Senate Session Hall, Francisco’s masterpiece is made of 10 panels installed along the walls of the majestic room. Collectively, it measures 80 metres long.

The work can also be seen through a virtual tour created by photographer Fung Yu. Bonifacio and Katipunan Revolution Monument

The Bonifacio and Katipunan Revolution Monument. Alamy

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Manila’s Heroes Park includes the Bonifacio shrine, which was designed by sculptor Eduardo Castrillo in 1998 and pays tribute to Andres Bonifacio, one of the founders of the Katipunan. Dubbed “the father of the Revolution”, he was fervent in his tactics towards defeating the Spanish, highlighting the need for revolution rather than reform. The monument embodies Bonifacio’s militancy as the hero towers over a crowd of men while brandishing a weapon.

‘The Making of the Philippine Flag’ by Fernando Amorsolo Known for his idyllic depictions of rural landscapes and his use of light, Fernando Amorsolo is a prominent figure in Philippine art history. His pointillist work The Making of the Philippine Flag imagines Marcela Marino Agoncillo and two other women stitching the first Philippine flag.

One of Amorsolo’s paintings of rural Philippine landscapes entitled ‘Tinikling’ (1960). Universal History Archive / UIG / Shutterstock

This is how Agoncillo earned her moniker as the “the mother of the Philippine flag”. She, along with her daughter Lorenza and friend Delfina Herbosa Natividad, created the flag after being asked by Emilio Aguinaldo to design a banner for the new republic. The result was a blue-and-red coloured flag with three stars to symbolise the country’s major islands and a sun with eight rays, each representing the provinces that colonisers placed under martial law during the conflict.

Like much of his other work, Amorsolo highlights female subjects and painted the piece with the intention of remembering a moment in history.

54 5 ARTWORKS THAT CELEBRATE PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY

‘The Continuing Revolution’ by Leonilo Dolirocon

Leonilo Dolirocon’s socialist art at the National Gallery in Manila in 2017. Kandukuru Nagarjun via Flickr

A more contemporary work by Leonilo Dolirocon builds on the themes of revolution, freedom and bravery seen in the Bonifacio monument and mirrors Francisco’s layered style. On one side of Dolirocon’s The Continuing Revolution drawing, we see the execution of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal and the leaders of the Katipunan waving their banner. The other half of the work shows modern-day workers striving in areas of technology, science, agriculture and fishing.

Dolirocon’s subject matter often centres on the dispossessed to bring to light labour practices that affect workers in the Philippines, while emphasising their dignity as well.

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The Museum and Gallery

Free Admission Come Visit Us by Appointment Mon - Fri: 10am - 4pm | Sat, Sun and Holidays: Closed

56 THE MUSEUM & GALLERY

Moncada - Alcala - Bayambang National Road (Arboleda Street) San Pedro Ili, Alcala Pangasinan, Philippines museumgallery.ph@gmail.com

The Museum and Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting developments in the late 19th century to post-World War II art through 1970’s (Modern Art) and 1970’s to the present (Contemporary Art) in all media and creating a welcoming environment for its public appreciation. The Museum will promote understanding and interest in art and artists through art shows and exhibitions, curatorial research and publications, and a variety of educational programs, including lectures, guided tours, and workshops.

The Museum is an organic, changing place. Although all the works seen are part of our permanent collection, in order to show the full range of our holdings - over 2,000 objets d’art - and to accommodate important temporary exhibitions, certain works must occasionally be taken off view.

Modern Art

Modern Art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of experimentation. More recent artistic production is often called contemporary art or postmodern art.

Contemporary Art

Contemporary Art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Some define contemporary art as art produced within “our lifetime”.