Women honored in ‘Babaye’ exhibit

Efren Enolva, president of Portrait Artists’ Society of the
Philippines, Inc. is pictured here with his artwork “Kandila Maam Sir,” which captured a candle vendor taking her siesta at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño.
CDN PHOTO/CHRISTIAN MANINGO

While climbing up the wide staircase on the way to the second floor of the Rizal Memorial Library and Museum building, visitors are led to an old wooden door.

In it is the Cebu City Museum where portraits of women currently hang on different corners of the room:

A pregnant long-haired lady, a candle vendor in a pink floral blouse, a mother carrying her child, an old woman in deep thought, and a Sinulog festival queen, among others.

The paintings were set up by members of the Cebu-based Portrait Artists’ Society of the Philippines, Inc. (PASPI) early this month to celebrate Women’s Month.

When Cebu Daily News visited the exhibit last March 16, it was a busy Friday for PASPI president, visual artist Efren Enolva.

Enolva had his hands full coordinating with people as they came in and out of the museum for an on-the-spot portrait sketching session.

PASPI is a male-dominated organization but interestingly enough, it was the men of PASPI who pushed for the exhibit that honors, recognizes and uplifts the value of women in society.

For Enolva, putting up the “Babaye” exhibit at the Cebu City Museum for the second year is their way of highlighting the value of women and their contributions to the different fields.

“A woman gave birth to each one of us. So we organized this tribute exhibit to every woman. We acknowledge their value and put the spotlight on them,” said Enolva, who graduated in 1991 with a fine arts degree from the University of the Philippines Cebu College.

The exhibit has about 30 portraits for now; but, Enolva said, more artworks will be added.

The Babaye exhibit will run until March 31.

Presidential Proclamation No.227, signed by then President Corazon Aquino in 1988, declared the month of March as “Women’s Role in History Month”; while Republic Act No. 6949 (series of 1990) declared March 8 of every year as National Women’s Day.

Both are aimed at recognizing the contributions of Filipino women in society.

Women paintings

At the center of the PASPI exhibit is a demo painting of a woman by master portraitist, and PASPI founder Romulo Galicano.

In the painting, the multi-awarded Cebuano artist showed how he paints skin tones.

“The painting was done very quickly in one sitting, in a very short span of time, and was painted freehand with a live model and without any sketching aid,” PASPI said in its official Facebook page.

Among his many awards, Galicano holds the prestigious Portrait Society of America William F. Draper 2005 Grand Prize for International Competition.

Meanwhile, Enolva’s work entitled “Kandila Maam Sir” captures a candle vendor taking a siesta outside the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño.

“I felt her presence. She was not wearing the usual yellow and maroon uniform of women we often see in that area. In her old age, she was still actively selling candles. She exuded a very powerful and enduring spirit of a woman that I decided to paint her in 2015,” said Enolva.

Though known in the last 24 years as a visual artist, Enolva declares that first and foremost, he is husband to his wife, Jocelyn and father to his children Klent Laurence, 10, and Leanha Mae, 8.

“Women are givers of life. We uplift, respect, honor and recognize them with these artworks,” he said.

Fellow visual artist, Carly Florido, had four of his paintings on display. But all are not for sale.

“I want to leave these with family as personal collections. These are precious, valuables so they are not for sale,” he said.

Two of his artworks are separate portraits of his daughters Joan and Sarah Jane; while another is a painting of his sister-in-law, Hedith. The fourth illustration shows his second daughter, Geraldine, carrying her child, Megan.

Florido said painting the mother and child piece with his daughter and granddaughter eight years ago was a surreal experience.

“It was an indescribable feeling. It is difficult to describe. It is a memorable experience because they are family,” said Florido, 77.

Florido started to paint in his late 40s. Though largely self-taught for 30 years, he was under the tutelage and guidance of Galicano.

His eldest daughter, Joan, is also an artist and one of only three women members of PASPI.

Recruitment

Joan, 50, had been trying her hand at sketching and painting with watercolor during her spare time.

“I decided to quit my desk job in October 2014 because I didn’t want to get to age 60 and regret not trying to work full time as a painter,” she told CDN.

“I didn’t want to get to that age and not be able to see the colors properly anymore or not be able to draw a straight line and regret not starting sooner,” added Joan.

Growing up, Joan said she was always inclined towards the arts.

“My mom has a story about finding me and my twin brother at about age 2, and I had covered his entire body with drawings,” she recalled.
Joan hopes that more women artists would join PASPI to share their talents and improve their craft.

“Most women feel intimidated about joining if there are a lot of men already. But the men in PASPI are all very respectful and friendly so I am trying to encourage more women to join,” she said.

Joan describes PASPI as an inclusive and friendly group that will accept any interested person as member, even those who do not yet know how to paint or draw.

The group aims to teach the craft to aspiring artists.

“My dad is proof that painting can be learned. People think that you have to be a born artist to paint, but anyone can learn,” she said.

Enolva agreed and emphasized that the group is open even for students.

PASPI members can be found in the museum every Friday at 2 p.m. onwards for on-the-spot portrait sketching, lectures and demonstration to help improve the work of artists and expand their horizons.

Partnership

Museum administrator and curator Bryner Diaz said that the Cebu City Museum started its partnership with PASPI in 2016 or four years after the group was formed in 2012.

Since then, the museum has been the venue of PASPI exhibits, including fundraising events for their sick and hospitalized members.

For every PASPI exhibit held there, the group donates a painting to the museum, said Diaz.

In time for next month’s Gabii sa Kabilin (Night of Heritage), a cultural activity where museums and heritage sites are open for public tours until midnight, Diaz said PASPI will donate a boxer codex.

“The Boxer Codex is a manuscript written circa 1590, which contains illustrations of ethnic groups in the Philippines at the time of their initial contact with the Spaniards,” explained Diaz.

Kevin Serad, 23, and one of PASPI’s youngest members, hopes to see more young artists joining the group.

For the exhibit, Serad entered a painting of an old woman with her hands on both cheeks while appearing to be in deep thought.

“It is an honor to be part of an exhibit that showcases the value and strength of women. While doing this painting, I thought about how would life be for me in the future when I am also this woman’s age,” he said.

With the support of the museum administration and a growing interest among younger artists, Enolva is confident that more social messages will be conveyed through arts.

Messages such as the very important roles of women in society.