From bottle caps, old playing cards, junk food wrappers and used broom sticks, Lucilo Sagayno’s medium of doing art seems limitless. His openness to experimentation with his mantra, “art is an act of expressing ones self,” makes him one of Cebu’s thought provoking conceptual/installation artists. With his “in-genius” use of these mediums, it seems that there is no limit as to what Sagayno can do. As a proof, he has done a dozen of exhibits to date and counting, using anything around him as medium of his “socio-realistic” art pieces.
Sagayno is a visual artist whom nothing is known. What is an open truth to many is his adventurous life and transformation, from a BMX enthusiast and trekker to an accomplished artist who has fathered artworks which often show visual commentaries on contemporary social issues. He took the spotlight of Cebu’s art scene when his artworks were selected as one of the finalists of the Philip Morris Philippine Arts Award for two consecutive years (1997 and 2000). And the rest, as they say, is history.
Jojo, as his friends call him, is a Fine Arts graduate from the University of the Philippines and has served the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for four years as the Visayas Representative in the Committee on Visual Arts. At present, he holds the top position in the Visayas Island Visual Artist’s (VIVA) Association and is one of the key organizers of the upcoming VIVA Exhibit-Conference (VIVA Ex-Con) this year. Sagayno is currently a member of the faculty of the Fine Arts Department of the University of San Carlos.
The Exhibit
Pilit Pintal (Junk Mosaic and Paint, in the local dialect) is the style Jojo Sagayno has been known for. In his latest public offering, Jojo Sagayno uses this as his theme to give us a glimpse of the art he implores with his 21 carefully selected artworks. A dozen of those had been done in oil. Eyes will have their first hand encounter with Sagayno’s oil in canvass interpretation of ”Dagan sa Kalambuan”, “Pagtuo”, “Venus” and “Panglantaw”. More so, will they be fascinated with the cubis-style inspired illusions of “See No Evil,” “Hear No Evil” and “Speak No Evil.”
On the other hand, nine artworks of this show were products of carefully handcrafted mosaic from “in-genius” junk food wrappers which shows ordinary Juan’s way of life. This is the first of many exhibits that Jojo will undertake in promoting art through “recycled materials.”
“Pilit Pintal: A Lucilo M. Sagayno Exhibit” is open for public viewing from November 5 – 25 at the Bluewater Gallery, Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort, Mactan Island, Cebu. For appointment and viewing, one may call (63 32) 232 5411 or email at events@ bluewater.com.ph.