Mixed media by Reynan Dingal
ON THE opening of Maayo Hotel’s “Cebuano Art: A Glimpse,” painter organizer Celso Pepito called the late abstract painter Tito Cuevas the father of modern Cebuano art. By modern, the organizer meant non-traditional painting.
Though certain sectors might disagree to Pepito’s opinion of the late artist, the crowd at the exhibit was very agreeable to it. Cuevas was one of the posthumously represented artist in the hotel’s first exhibit which was both a survey and a sampler of the works of contemporary Cebuano and/or Cebu based visual artists.
It included realist and abstract expressionist artists, two dimensional as well as three dimensional works.
The works of Jonathan Abellana, Sunshine Plata, Betsy Alterado,
Cesar Castillo, Joel Cristobal, Tito Cuevas, Rhodesa Cruzet, Reynan Dengal, Jess Dinglasa, John Dinglasa, Efren Enolva, Jet Florendo, Bong Francesco, Fred Galan, Marivel Galan, Jun Impas, Golda King, Ana Lubanga, Guido Lubanga, Edgar Mojares, Mean Mustard, Clint Normandia, Joseph Ong, Radel Paredes, Celina Paredes,
Celso Duazo Pepito, Fe Madrid Pepito, Jose Mari Picornell, Manuel Rodriguez, Sr., Ruel Rosillo, Tony Quisumbing, Jojo Sagayno, Edwin Tuazon, Antonio Vidal and Mariano Vidal were exhibited in the 7th and 8th floors of the new hotel in Mandaue.
There were parent and child as well as husband and wife tandem among them.
“Night View of the City,” mixed media by Rhodesa Cruzet
According to Pepito, the more traditional works were placed in the 7th floor and the more experimental ones were placed the 8th. Not being a big fan of landscapes and people subjects, I lingered more in the 8th floor. And to my pleasant surprise the works were varied and visually stimulating.
The most eye-catching were the mixed media pieces by Rhodesa Cruzet, Reynan Dingal and Joseph Ong and the experimental approach in the works of Ann Lumbanga and Golda King.
Ong’s “Naked and Free” series were both contemplative and jarring at the same time.
Dingal’s work which depicted a highly geometrical portrayal of a mythical hero was easily the center of conversation among the first group of artists to arrive at the exhibit. Cruzet’s “Night View of the City” just seemed to suck the viewers into a nocturnal world of colorful secrets.
One of the rationale of having such broad spectrum of style for this exhibit is, according to Pepito, to show to the art collectors that Cebu has more than just traditional type of paintings.
“Lady in Tulu Dress,” acrylic on canvas by Ann Lumbaga
And maybe also to show that the spirit of Cuevas is alive and thriving here. In this aspect, the exhibit is quite successful.
