Ato Habulan's sense and sentiment
MANILA, Philippines - Far from exuding an intimidating or arrogant air that someone of his artistic stature is wont to have, Renato Habulan puts one readily at ease. As his soft, gentle and unassuming voice relays various anecdotes, frustrations and aspirations it is impossible not to listen intently. Not only are his vignettes interesting, but they are also inspiring. Conversing with Habulan is a journey through a myriad of socio-political destinations — from his experiences as a gifted young artist to the highly-charged ’70s until the post-Cory years; from the fire and passion fueled by his activism to the advocacies he champions as a mentor and educator. Through all these, his art is both participant and observer of the times.
Known as one of the country’s foremost social realists, Habulan has consistently labored to capture the paradox of Philippine reality through his works. Critiquing various issues — social inequity, prevailing militarization, duality of religion, deficient education, economic emancipation — his paintings serve as visual narratives of the milieu he finds himself in.
“Art is a reflection of our society as it helps contribute to the process of change,” says Habulan. It is not hard to recall the artist’s vivid depictions of peasants and laborers in previous paintings. His skillful brushwork has resulted in a body of work that poetically and symbolically presents to the viewers the harsh and disparate societal realities.
From his humble beginnings as a child prodigy to the heights of his maturity, Habulan has always strived to seek new ways to depict his social realist stance in his artworks. His experiences and principles have guided him to express the undeniable contradictions within the Pinoy culture. “Through the proper appreciation of facts and history coupled with my own experiences, my well of inspiration will never run dry and I also won’t allow it,” shares Habulan.
Indeed, this multi-awarded artist is driven by his passion to create. Despite the decades of art practice, he is still evolving, and it is by choice. “I would like to believe that I am still looking for my prime. This search leads me to explore various processes, techniques and materials,” the artist imparts.
In 2004, Habulan began his “Takatak” series, which was based on the wooden boxes carried by street peddlers to store their assorted wares. The streets of the metropolis abound with takatak vendors especially during the rush hours. They snake in and out of the traffic, catching commuters’ attention through that familiar takatak…takatak…takatak… the sound that alerts the public that cigarettes, candies or even chicharon are within reach. Day in, day out the takatak boys and girls endure the heat, grime and fumes in order to make a decent living. Much like the street peddlers who brave the daily injustices and chronicle the comings and goings of their territory, Habulan does the same thing through his highly symbolic takataks — an apt vernacular metaphor for the highly disproportionate social order.
These assemblages serve as an exciting idiom for the artist. He aggregates an assortment of tangible memories to fit into an aesthetic and sculptural whole. These wooden boxes encapsulate distinct incidents and occurrences in the artist’s rich and colorful life as immortalized by the objects and mementos that he incorporates in it. Although Habulan does not altogether veer away from the imagery and palette he is known for, he adeptly fuses these with his use of polymer, photo transfer, pottery, wax, oil painting and other processes to create these mixed-media works. “I made use of the techniques that I taught in my classes,” Habulan the teacher discloses.
Art gives perspective and for Habulan it is an instrument in the quest for real change and the development of national identity. “In whatever mode or medium, artists should be able to exercise faith that does not contradict liberation, keeping in mind that the driving force of creativity is our fidelity to fairness and justice,” imparts Habulan. He injects these core values in the takataks. As repositories of sense and sentiments, not only are they fragments of Habulan’s personal history, but they are also concrete precepts and perceptions that span three decades.
These mixed-media works together with a number of paintings comprise the visual collection in “Takatak,” Renato Habulan’s exhibition at Britania Art Projects along Sgt. Catolos corner New York Ave. in Cubao, Quezon City.
