Early birthday presents- The Demon Dungeon, Underpass, Artwork, Charles & Keith

Note: This is not a review of the books, just a brag post about newly acquired material possessions. Bwahahaha. The reviews are to follow. But read along if you shall.

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. 

Re-inking the Ilonggo psyche

Tattoo artist Poloy Gerona

(This article was published in Panay News Sunday Edition, March 20, 2011)

“It’s all about the pain.”                                                        

 

And so goes the motto that runs on the storefront of Macabre Tattoo in the 3rd Floor of Mary Mart Mall, Iloilo City, owned and operated by Norman “Poloy” Gerona, tattoo artist and president of the Iloilo Tattoo Artists Organization (ITAO).

 And this, perhaps, is also the appropriate motto for what Poloy, as what he prefers to be called, and the tattoo artists and enthusiasts of Iloilo, with ITAO, wishes to achieve – to reverse the perception that most Ilonggos have towards tattoos and getting one.

“Kalabanan nga mga Ilonggo, panumduman nila kung pintados ka, adik ka," (Most Ilonggos think that if you are inked, you’re a drug addict,) Poloy says, “but then, we are not. Tattoo is a form of art."

Poloy himself is shaven, pale, and despite his job description, is not (yet) covered from head to toe with tattoos.  The most notable tattoos that Poloy has are the pieces on his chest – on his right, a portrait of his wife Venice, and on the left, that of the Lord Jesus Christ with a crown of thorns. 

Here in Iloilo, tattooing doesn't get much of a following compared to the US or even just Cebu or Metro Manila. That's why he was thankful when he got the invitation from artist Lester Amacio of Ilonggo Art to stage a tattoo expo on March 10, Thursday.

“First time ini nga nagka Tattoo Expo diri sa Iloilo,” Poloy says, “Kag hopefully, mangin paagi man ini nga ma-familiarize ang mga Ilonggo sa tattoo art.” He says that there are still many of the old-fashioned lot in the city, even with the artist community. This Expo, as Poloy sees it, would be a big step for the tattoo industry to be accepted, if not yet embraced.

"Ang tattoo, waay delikado," the 35-year old artist explains when asked about the popular notion that one can get diseases through tattooing, "kay of course, tanan na ya nga ginagamit disposable --from needles to wipes."

"Halin sang-una gid na ya, gina-try ko gid engganyo ang mga tawo," he further says, stressing that people should be educated that tattooing is simply an art form, only that in this case, the canvas is the human skin.

Asked how he found himself in this kind of enterprise, Poloy explains that it simply started as a hobby back in 1991.

"Kay halin sang-una pa ya hilig ko na gid mag-drawing," he explains. He says that the first tattoo he put on himself is that of the logo of the biking brand Fox on his left hand, owing as well to his other hobby. In a show of sentimentality from somebody who has demon images on his arms, Poloy says he has covered up all the other older tattoos he's had, but he'll be keeping this one.

“It was just a sort of backyard thing,” he says, “we were in CPU then.” And as, they say, the rest is history. Right now, Macabre Tattoo has been gaining customers since he first started the business in 2008.

The Tattoo Expo, attended by tattoo artists from the city, as well as invited guests from Bacolod City and Boracay, is a day-long event that featured a tattoo competition for two categories - small and big tattoo designs.

Asked if they apply some sort of local anesthesia if customers would request it, Poloy only smiles and says, "It's all about the pain, gani."