ARTISTS GALORE. Andy Alviz (standing) presents to journalists “Arte Kapampangan” exhibitors (R-L) Ronnie Tayag, Alvaro Jimenez, Ruston Banal Jr., Lee Adriano and Willy Layug.
Lending support to the Capampangan artists are Myrna Bituin (3rd from left) and Mike Pangilinan (left).
Photo by Ric Gonzales
STA. RITA, Pampanga – Capampangan artists – from beginners to multi-awarded – gathered in a rustic ambience here to showcase their art works, some of which promote love for the environment and traditional values.
The five artists – Presidential awardee sculptor Willy Layug, graphic artist-turned-painter Lee Adriano, photographer-teacher Ruston Banal Jr., noted innovator and painter Alvaro Jimenez and visual artist Ronnie Tayag – displayed their respective works at the Bale ng Juan owned by the family of Miss Saigon choreographer Andy Alviz.
Dubbed ‘Arte Kapampangan,’ the exhibit will run until December in Sta. Rita. Up for sale at the farm house are the works of five artists and other renowned artists produced by Pampanga, including Ben Cabrera, awarded National Artist of the Philippines for Visual Arts (Painting) in 2006.
Cabrera and four more artists failed to attend the launching but their works are displayed, some of which are for sale.
Alviz said the gathering was done to “bring back the appreciation for arts, particularly Kapampangan works.”
VALUES, ENVIRONMENT
Alviz said they had chosen their remotely located farm “so that art will commune with nature.” He was assisted by Guagua-based Betis Crafts Inc. owner Myrna Bituin in holding the exhibit.
Bituin said the exhibit of the works of the home-grown talents was meant to showcase Capampangan artistry.
More importantly, she added, arts could promote “traditional values” to the young generation.
Bituin noted that “young people today” do not even know rice farmers and the hard work the farmers engage in to bring the staple food on people’s tables.
She lamented that many children spent more time on computers to play on-line games and use their Facebook accounts.
Bituin said the launching of the art exhibit started early morning on June 30 when they, including the five artists, joined the planting of rice in front of the house where the art works are displayed.
Bituin also assailed too much commercialism at the expense of the environment.
“Nature has been degraded so much. What is supposed to be planted with trees was not,” said Bituin. She cited the recent floodings in Cotabato and Davao caused by illegal settlers and poor drainage system.
LAYUG
Layug of Betis, Guagua showed to Punto his work dedicated to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) displayed at the sala of Alviz’ house. It was a wood carving of a young girl whose left breast was showing.
But Layug stressed that the flags of different nations on his art work should be noted “as a tribute to the hardworking OFWs.”
He disclosed that his “Tribute to OFWs” had been recently offered for a price of little over P350,000 in Manila but hinted that he could offer it for less now.
Layug became an apprentice of well-known and respected sculptors in Spain to improve his craft. Then he applied these skills and knowledge to his works. OFWs.
In 2009, then President and now Second District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo conferred a Presidential Medal of Merit Award on Layug for his outstanding achievement in the field of ecclesiastical art.
BANAL
At 30 years old, Banal is the youngest among the five artists presented to journalists over breakfast of puto lason, dinuguan, itlog na pula, suman and salabat .
Young as he is, the University of the Philippines-Diliman Fine Arts Graduate (major in painting) will not be left behind in terms of recognition and awards.
In 2007, Banal won the Philippine Airlines photo contest. His photo – a man fishing in a dam – was a finalist in the recent National Geographic magazine international contest participated in by thousands of professional and amateur photographers.
Banal showed to Punto his brochure detailing some of his recent photographs. The cover featured Lubao Mayor Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab, daughter of Gov. Lilia Pineda, He said the Lubao mayor asked him to do her portrait for display at her house.
Banal said he had made portraits of “just about any prominent woman in Pampanga.” He named Tess Laus and Agnes Romero of the City of San Fernando, among others.
Banal is a member of the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde faculty.
ADRIANO
Adriano of Guagua was a graphic artist for 20 years in the USA. He recently came home to his native province to “retire” and seek a new profession.
He started oil painting and one of his works is in the Betis Church which showed a creek filled with garbage and a man peeing against a wall.
Adriano said in his works, he wants to point out the “bad attitude of some people.” He also displayed his painting showing old folk drinking liquor in the presence of children.
Adriano stressed that he is just a “beginner and his works are personal collections and not really for sale.”
When not painting, Adriano teaches children how to paint and graphic arts at the Betis Church. His services are free.
TAYAG
Tayag of Cutcut, Angeles City stopped doing art work for almost 30 years to work abroad. He said he had an obligation to provide a bright future to his wife and children.
Tayag returned for good and started to do art works again. He concentrated on “very Filipino” works to combat “too much colonial mentality.”
Some of the works at the Alviz residence included a painting of “tarnate” fruit, which are common in Pampanga.
Tayag said some Filipinos easily put up an orange fruit when asked to show a sample of products of the Philippines.
Tayag said his works are ‘inferior” compared to that of Layug, Jimenez, Cabrera and others.
But he stressed that he is more concerned with putting up an “art in the park” in front of the Holy Rosary Parish Church at the downtown area of Angeles.
Tayag said the park has served as venue to feature art works and performances of artists, notably Capampangans.
JIMENEZ
Jimenez is “unique and an innovator,” in every sense of the word, said his fellow artists. His paintings had been mostly done on processed banana stalks.
Late last year, the City of San Fernando in its celebration of Women’s Month, presented Art Exhibit in Honor Of Kapampangan Women which included banana stalks paintings of Jimenez.
Jimenez is a master of Letras Y Figuras which, according to his blog, is an original manifest of the great Filipino sense of artistic design most especially during the colonial days.
“Letras Y Figuras is an art form in which the letters of the alphabet are painted in such a way that their contours are formed out of the shapes of human figures, animals, plants and quotidian objects,” it added.
“That’s why I am interested in the past as shown in my works,” said Jimenez, whose paintings had been featured and recognized in other nations.
