The Metamorphosis of Anthony

The challenge, for any artist, is to survive – and survival, in this easily-jaded art world, necessarily means evolution.  Artists have to expand their horizons, excite their clients not just once, but continuously, and sustain the public’s interest in their output if they want to put their stamp on history.  Home-grown Anthony Fermin, after more than a decade in the business, so to speak, seems on his way to doing exactly this. 

Self-taught, Anthony started making his mark in the latter part of the 90s, when he began joining local shows in and around Cebu.  He began with colorful, playful subjects, his canvases splashed with riotous leaps of hues and tones while depicting fiestas, parades, churches and marionettes.  There would be paintings inspired by local icons, like his jeepneys, and idealized tourist spots, like El Ideal of Bacolod, currently hanging in that must dine Italian eatery, Giuseppe’s.  Even his subjects were at play, with the local basketball craze and the native children’s game, ‘tumbang preso’, complete with tsinelas, taking starring roles in his canvasses.

Anthony soon caught the attention of various art lovers and collectors, and a buzz began among the Cebu art world. But this wasn’t enough for this ambitious 20-something, and abetted by the steady guidance of Evan (his wife), Anthony started to show his pieces in Bacolod, Manila, and thereafter, abroad.  In his quest for self-improvement, he joined an art fair in Hanover, Germany and obtained valuable exposure to artists from all the parts of the world. 

After returning to Cebu, Anthony shuttled back and forth between Bacolod and the Queen City.  His works were featured regularly in that favorite haunt of the Negrenses, Bob’s Café, and he endeared himself to Ilonggos.  (If you look closely, you can even tell that certain quirky details of some of his works have been blown up and used as background for the restaurant’s pillars and signage.) 

It was perhaps here in Sugarlandia that Anthony’s ‘dark’ period came, and he began producing smaller, square canvasses, diptychs and triptychs, featuring equally diced and sliced snippets of life, where coffee cups and fairies, gossiping girls and local fishwives, abounded.  The predominant colors here were not the vibrant yellows, reds and oranges that were so emblematic of Anthony.  Instead, somber colors like navy, black, and brown went into the mixture, and created a more disciplined expression of life and love.

This didn’t ruin his art, however.  In fact, the Inquirer, in a recent review, lauded him as an “infectious” optimist, with his “sense of play” evident in his brightly vibrant creations.

It’s the start of another year, and apparently, yet another cycle has turned.  This time, Anthony has translated his other experiences into exciting new works, and now there is a bit of China and Binondo evident in his recent examples. 

In Dragon Dance, a huge neon dragon dominates the scene while silk-jacketed figures make merry against Chinese lanterns.  While the technique is still clearly Fermin’s, the subject is a radical departure for him, and demonstrates just how eclectic this artist can become if he chooses to.  So too, is the work entitled Tea Party, which is a simple joyous get-together of friends, but the ambience is steeped in a mélange of Chinoiserie – cheongsams, lanterns and teapots.  Binondo Street is a beautiful panorama of jeepneys and caretelas, with the landmarks of the Binondo district arrayed imposingly against the festive parade.

Fans of Fermin’s old works need not fear, as he is still in the habit of making works that fit his traditional mold.  For example, his recent Palengke is a melange of colors both vibrant and muted, capturing the cacophony that are the public markets while lending them a festive air.

Given these transitions, it is exciting to see what Fermin will come up with next.  His choice of future subjects, if made correctly, could lead to greater success, and bestow upon him the laurels he’s been working so hard to achieve this past decade.  Stay tuned for the next episode then – and meanwhile, it might be a good idea to start collecting his pieces.