by Jontie Martinez
A great artist once said, “Every morning when I wake up, I experience an exquisite joy —the joy of being Salvador Dali — and I ask myself in rapture: What wonderful things is this Salvador Dail going to accomplish today?” Perhaps this same question is asked, although with a little more modesty, by ten artists, all college batchmates and friends, as they prepare for their upcoming exhibit “GOLD — Pure, Valuable, Unfading.“
They are “Grupong USTe,” graduates of the College of Fine Arts and Advertising (CAFA), batch 1980-81of the University of Santo Tomas. A diverse group of individuals who took different paths (fashion, photography, advertising, government service, private business, and the academe) after college, they formed this group to return to their roots, share their passion for the arts, strengthen their friendship and hopefully give back to the community. For the past several years, they have mounted successful exhibits to showcase their talents, like “Paradores del Castillo” (Taal, Batangas, 2016), “Dimensions” (Philippine Heart Center, 2019), “Pasig Art Fair” (Pasig Museuem, 2020) and “Rise (Gallery Anton, 2021).
So, to paraphrase Dail, who are these participating artists and what wonderful things will they be showing? Here they are (in alphabetical order):
WILLIE DE VERA — A professional photographer, he has received numerous honors, including the Anvil Award and Photographer of the Year from several camera clubs. His Philippine Festival large images are on permanent display at the UP College of Medicine, Manila.
REYNALDO GAJO — A graphic computer artist, he revived his love for painting after 4 decades in the corporate world, first dabbling in watercolors and pencils, before moving to oil and acrylic. He will present for the exhibit paintings of birds, cut flowers, and nonfigurative artwork.
CECIL SISON-LANE — A Filipino-British artist who has settled in the village of La Tdmouille in Southwest France, she counts the late Pacita Abad, Paul Gauguin, and Swiss contemporary artist Zoller Patritha as her inspirations. Watch for her mixed-media glass artwork and collages in this exhibit.
JUN LOPEZ — After trying his hand at visual merchandising, animation, and tourism, the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns rekindled his love for the arts. Influenced by Japanese abstractionism, he will be unveiling a symphony of colors on canvas, with acrylic as his medium.
ALEXANDER MEDINA — A visual artist and muralist, he put up his own Art Decorations business with his wife Maris, creating murals, interior design, and paintings for venues like the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel and Mandarin Hotel Manila. His inspiration for this exhibit is GOLD itself, and its beauty, power, and ability to blend with other colors.
LEVY MONCERA — While pursuing his career at the US Naval Base in Subic, he spent his free time honing his painting skills. He will present on oil-pastel on canvass a series of flowers, Ash . and vendors. Eventually, he hopes to create more artwork to inspire other artists.
MARY CHRISTIE QUE — After 18 years in advertising, she became an educator full-time, and is now Dean of the UST CF. (College of Fine Arts & Design). A photography enthusiast, she rose to Me challenge of painting, inspired by the sunrise photos she takes every morning.
JUN QUINTON —Knows simply as JQ in the art world, he is both a painter and sculptor. His works are a mix of realism and impressionism, with graphic touches using watercolor, oil, acrylic, and gouache. An award-winning artist, he draws inspiration from his travels here and abroad.
EDGAR SAN DIEGO — An established fashion designer, he took to his brushes during quarantine and created a series of Filipiniana-themed paintings, which he showed during his recent one-man exhibit at the SM Megamall Mega Fashion Hall. For this exhibit, he experimented with mix-media by creating his own molds and combining them with other elements, using religion, love, and fantasy as his central themes.
SHELDON VILLANUEVA — A sculptor who first worked as Art Director, and Advertising Specialist, he decided to go back to his roots in 2018 to create art for himself. He looks up to his mentor Benji Rey. and Napoleon Abueva (The Father A Modern Philippine Sculpture). His pieces entitles “Sagrado,” “Sagana,” and “Familia Sagrada” are inspired by his desire to follow God’s calling.
Catch their exhibit which will run from September 1-15 at the East Wing Lobby of the Shangri-La Plaza Shang Place in Mandaluyong City. Grabs of marvelous artwork (or two) as part of the proceeds of the sales will go to their chosen beneficiary, Caritas Manila.
