Like A Virgin, so overwhelmed with my First-Ever Art Exhibit

"Panoynoy" 1x1 (excluding the frame) WV on Paper
-my first ever exhibited artwork! :)
Photo Credit: Raisa Joy G. (for Gorgeous) Castel

There's always a first time for everything. And last 2012 had been a year of firsts for me. One of the things I never imagined that I'll have a first time with is an art exhibit. But I was lucky enough to be invited by one of my friends, Don Demetita, to submit an artwork for the Children's Month Celebration last October 5, 2012 to the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) Art Gallery.

Bacolod artists grace festival

(Published in Panay News Sunday, 20 March 2011)

Bacolod-based renowned artist and visionary Charlie Co, who did the ribbon cutting for Ugyon sa Dihon 2011 opening night on March 8, popped in with Dennis Ascalon, another one of Bacolod's most notable artists, on the third day of the exhibit, bringing with them a league of the younger artists from Bacolod City.

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Roderick A. Tijing 

Roderick is a surrealist whose works are somewhat influenced by the colorful, dreamlike works of Charlie Co. Roderick's are however, more on the playful side, compared to Co's usually social commentary-charged pieces. He has a solo exhibit entitled "Dreamscapes 2" on going until March 25 at Negros Museum, Bacolod City.

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Guinnevere Decena

Decena's "Refined Chaos"

Guinnevere's, or Gwen's (as what she prefers to be called) works are both graceful and thought-provoking. Her featured painting entitled "Refined Chaos" depicts an exquisitely done female bust with towering hair made of what looked like crumpled paper, a signature in her work, if you check out her Facebook. The title, according to Gwen, pretty much summarizes what the painting is all about. "It's a battle between control and accident," she states. She describes her style as being "minimal but maximal." In other words, she does with painting what poets do with words.

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Ian Valladarez

Valladarez' "Femininity"

Ian is resident artist to Balay Negrense in Silay City, where he works on his specialty -continuous wire sculpting, from seemingly simple keychains to more complicated artworks such as his Ugyon exhibit piece, "Femininity."

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Christine Bangero

Bangero's "Travelers Secret"

Christine is a photographer who also has a great appreciation for art, as well as a penchant for body art. In fact, the newest tattoo that she got from fellow Bacolodnon, tattoo artist Chaq Lobaton (for more info, visit his blog, Pain n' Ink) won third place in the festival's Metal Ink Tattoo Expo competition. The tattoo design is a lotus flower with vibrantly colored details.

Bangero's newest winning tattoo, by Chaq Lobaton

  

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Supposedly, this should have been a sidebar to the main article

<<"Iloilo Art holds exhibition, talks"

which appeared 2 days later, 22 March 2011

Iloilo Art holds exhibition, talks

 Ugyon sa Dihon 2011, An Ilonggo Art Festival

(Published in Panay News, March 22, 2011)

 

Iloilo Art, together with the Province of Iloilo, held “Ugyon sa Dihon 2011, An Ilonggo Art Festival,” last March 8 to 12, 2011 at the Philippine National Bank (PNB), Gen. Luna St., Iloilo City.

Jason Gonzales and Charlie Co did the ribbon cutting to open the Ugyon sa Dihon 2011 Festival on March 8, 2011. With them are Iloilo Art's Lester Amacio and Marrz Halley Capanang. 
Photo Credit: Anthony Estancia thru M.H. Capanang

 The week-long festival is an exhibition of artworks by different Ilonggo artists, from visual arts students of the Iloilo National High School – Special Program for the Arts, to college students from various universities and colleges including the University of the Philippines and the University of San Agustin. There had also been talks and workshops covering a variety of topics such as art management given by Prof. Vinnie Tan of UPV Gallery curator, tattooing by Iloilo Tattoo Artists Organization president Norman “Poloy” Gerona, museum management by historian Rene Trance of Museo Iloilo, drawing by Shielo Mae Duterte, faculty of the College of Fine Arts, University of San Agustin, water media by Alex Ordoyo of the INHS-SPA, live model sketching by John Paul Castillo of the Philippine Women's University, terracotta sculpting by artist Alan Cabalfin of the Iloilo Visual Artists Association, and basic photography by artist Lester Amacio of the Avellana Art Gallery in Manila.

Iloilo Art is the brainchild of artists Lester Amacio and Rheo Nepomuceno. Ugyon sa Dihon, on the other hand, was planned firsthand by USA-College of Fine Arts faculty member and resident artist, Yannie Rose Noble and John Paul Castillo.

“The reason we put up the organization is gusto namon padayunon ang naumpisahan na sang mga older artists,” Amacio says, “and of course para mahatagan break ang mga kabataan nga artists like the kids from the Special Program for the Arts.” He further says that any artist who has the time and commitment can be a member of Iloilo Art.

Amacio is optimistic that Iloilo Art, with the support of the local government and the Ilonggo artists themselves will be able to hold festivals such as Ugyon sa Dihon in the coming years. For more information and pictures of the festival, see Iloilo Art on Facebook.

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Read the following related articles to see featured artists:

* Sculptor Harry Mark Gonzales in  "Ilonggo pride amidst national renown"
* Tattoo Artist Poloy Gerona in "Re-inking the Ilonggo psyche"
* Bacolod artists Charlie Co, Dennis Ascalon, Roderick A. Tijing, Gwen Decena, Ian Valladarez, and Christine Bangero in "Bacolod artists grace festival"

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Additional Links:

You can also check out this site: Iloilo Art.i.ph

To see Amacio's artworks, look up Lester Amacio on Facebook.