When hearts seek silence and tradition reawakens during Lent, Architect Berlin Guanlao offers a visual pilgrimage of devotion and remembrance through his heartfelt series Visita Iglesia.
A Betiseño and a proud alumnus of the University of the Assumption, Guanlao now continues his mission as the moderator of Regina, the official student publication of the university, where he nurtures the voices of the next generation.“I want to remind the youth of how rich our heritage is — both the intangible and the tangible.
I hope that through this series, the Kapampangan identity will not only be seen in paintings and images but lived, preserved, and passed on,” said Guanlao.
The Visita Iglesia series was born during the early months of the pandemic, from May 2020 to July 2024, a time when churches fell silent but faith burned brighter in solitude.
Drawing inspiration from Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Starry Night, Guanlao painted his own skies… not over France, but over the sacred churches and traditions of Pampanga. Each canvas, painted in solemn 24×36 inches of acrylic, is a tribute to the enduring faith of the Kapampangan people.
In “Stars of Hope Under the Starry Starry Night,” Guanlao captures the quiet majesty of the cathedral, with giant lanterns at the façade.
The piece reflects the resilience of a people who, even in the darkest times, looked to the heavens for light. Sasmuan Church glows next in “Reflection of Devotion Under the Starry Starry Night,” where faith is mirrored in the river’s quiet reflection.
The spiritual intimacy of dalo balen comes alive in “Dalo Balen Under the Starry Starry Night,” set against the rich heritage and resilience of Bacolor Church. Meanwhile, “Parade of the Stars Under the Starry Starry Night” paints the lubenas procession in Angeles Church, where flickers of lanterns and devotion march beneath a swirling sky.
At the heart of it all is “Starry Starry and the Star of the Night,” the inaugural piece that immortalized Betis Church, Guanlao’s hometown pride, where both earthly beauty and divine grace radiate from every architectural detail under the heavens.
The journey extends to Apalit Church in “The Procession of Apung Iru Under the Starry Starry Night,” a breathtaking depiction of the procession of Apung Iru where faith flows unbroken and ever-glorious.
Completing the sacred loop is “Fiestang Prusisyun Under the Starry Starry Night,” painted with the vibrant spirit of Minalin Church. This canvas is a celebration of religious procession and festivity, alive with movement, prayer, and celestial witness.
Throughout the Visita Iglesia series, Guanlao masterfully weaves elements of Kapampangan life — libad, prusisyon, lubenas, fiesta, ligligang parul and kuraldal — into each brushstroke. It is not merely art for art’s sake; it is a sacred archive.
Many of the works have been sold, published, and exhibited across various platforms, touching viewers with their beauty and message. In a time when heritage faces quiet erosion, Guanlao reminds us that our traditions are not relics, but living, breathing testaments of identity and faith.
His Visita Iglesia is more than a series but a sacred offering, a visual novena, and a call to preserve the legacy of a people through the powerful light of art.
