A celebration of friendship and art
July 24 – August 7, 2022
The Grove, 2F
Newport Mall
Resorts World Manila, Pasay City, Philippines
Six friends from college get reunited after forty-one years! It all started with a bottle of beer which led to two, three, and more until they decided to compare notes and see how and where their artistic journey took them. Come and join as they celebrate their friendship and Art.
Tito Rolly, Kiss Toledo, Rey Castellon, Omi Reyes, Manny de Guzman, and Buds Convocar
A Celebration of Friendship and their Art Journey
A wise man gave out very sound advice when he said “Do not expect anyone to understand your journey, especially if they never walked your path.” Who this man was is unknown but his words resonate with every individual’s journey through life.
In 1981, six young budding artists, just out of their cocoons went their own separate ways and embarked on their own artistic journey not knowing what lay ahead. Fresh from college and armed with nothing but enthusiasm and faith in themselves, uncertain if what they learned in college were sufficient to pull them through, they all tried to find their own niche. With the common saying that nobody gets rich with the arts, or, to put it in today’s context, is a “non-essential” course not enough to raise a family with, most of them found themselves working in different disciplines albeit related to art – the academe! Two of them found themselves working in universities while another one landed in basic education, teaching art to the young until he became part of that school’s administration handling the Art program. They have proven that there is no truth to the saying “if you can’t do – teach!” Not only did they belong to the upper echelons of their colleagues at the time, they never abandoned their love for the arts and that they continued to hone their craft further. The other three were directly linked with the art world with the other two going into the advertising scene while the other found the courage to face the odds and became a very successful practitioners.
Fast forward to forty years later, these friends found themselves together again in a reunion of some sort in a drinking spree of that delectable brewery that is the favorite in every celebration– beer! No, they may not have turned bohemians, as was the usual plight of modern painters of the 19th century, thank God, but they still knew how to celebrate albeit in the absence of fireworks. They have to celebrate the fact that they have become successful family men with caring wives and wonderful children. They have provided sufficiently for their families, given them, roofs over their heads, sumptuous meals, good education, and had them ready to face the challenges of the real world.
One get-together led to more and it is in one of these happy get-togethers that they concocted a plan – to compare notes and see for themselves where their own art journeys have brought them -with a group show showcasing their present works and showing to the world what, how and where their art has led them- the outcome of their life experience, both the good and the bad. In doing so, they decided to tread the path they’ve always wanted to walk on, the journey through the other’s art, how they are the same and yet different from one another knowing they will understand no matter what, for after all, they do step on common grounds albeit in different directions. They have unequivocally agreed it is now time to put the past journeys aside and travel together holding each other’s hand for after all, this is what friendship is all about, glory in each other’s triumph and sharing the cup of victory. And this all started over a bottle of beer. Cheers!
So, the exhibit shall begin tomorrow, July 24 but will have an official ribbon cutting on the 26th, Tuesday at 6 pm. Please do come and visit us at the Newport Mall and be fascinated with wonderful colors, ideas, forms and join us as we share our journey and our friendship through our Art.
