Paintings, sculptures, painted sculptures and sculpture-like paintings are currently on full display at ARTablado in Robinsons Antipolo. The five artists whose work is part of the ongoing exhibit titled “Meraki” chose this modern Greek word because it captures who they are as creators.
Its literal translation is “the essence of yourself” and means doing something with creativity, passion and love. It can be as simple as preparing a meal for your family or decorating your room but it can also be seen when you dedicate your life to the arts.
For Jefferson “Love” Bagacina, one of the featured artists, it means being passionate and committed to one’s art.
“As an artist, commitment is integral. You have to be disciplined enough to show up and create. You should also be devoted to each piece that you make so when you finally complete it, you can smile inwardly because you know that it’s a reflection of yourself—your experiences, your imagination, your hopes,” Bagacina said.
His brightly colored and patterned paintings of city scenes have a childlike vibe, and is a style that the painter, who hails from Paete in Laguna, introduced in 2018.
In celebration of Kasining Paete, the 32nd National Arts Month last year, Bagacina was recognized as “Natatanging Alagad ng Sining sa Bayan ng Paete, Laguna” and received a plaque and certificate of recognition.
Ramon Cajipe’s traditional dimensional wood carvings of barung-barong (hovels) might remind one of mushrooms as they seem to sprout from thick branches or tree stumps. His works depict a colorful tapestry of houses stacked closely on top of one another in a seemingly wild array of arrangements. A wood carver for close to three decades, Cajipe now uses his innate talent to bend, stretch and twist wood in such a way that they result in an interesting composition. He describes his creations now as “reverent fantasies” and said he feels most successful when people tell him that his work makes them smile.
Elias Pernecita Jr is an architect and painter whose pieces have this element of horror vacui. Eyes, faces and elongated figures fill his frames from edge to edge. He uses permanent inks and acrylic paint to create his art that he categorizes under Neo-Expressionism and Abstract forms.
“In my surreal pieces, one can see my thoughts and imaginings,” Elias said.
Full-time visual artist Fhiexbird Orozco’s scuptures have a stretched, elongated look. Elements as diverse as a hummingbird and a bowl of noodles catch the eye. His talent for flaring spoon and fork sculptures made him one of the finalists at the the 2016 Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) National Art Competition.
“All my works are handmade. I fuse them together using hand tools like pliers. Each artwork I make is formed through prayers with special emphasis on taking care of the environment,” Orozco said.
The fifth featured artist in “Meraki” is Jai Banez whose textured pieces—some of which include elements like leaves, koi fish and farm animals—have a idyllic, dream-like quality.
The artist from Paete, Laguna is known for his bas relieves that show “the goodness of God through the beauty of nature.” He said that his pieces show creativity, passion and love.
The five artists chose to exhibit their pieces at ARTablado because, as Bagacina pointed out, “ARTablado is capable to showcase our art. For me, they have become instrumental in showcasing the creativity of Filipino artists.”
Banez added that ARTablado is known for supporting both veteran and fledgling artists because of its wide reach.
“We hope that visitors to ‘Meraki’ will be amazed at the wealth of talent on display. We also hope that they can see the passion we put into our creations,” Bagacina said.
The “Meraki” exhibit is ongoing at ARTablado in Robinsons Antipolo (upper ground floor, main mall) until May 15.
