Celebrating Onib

CEBU, Philippines - I spent a few years dining under the gaze of an Onib Olmedo masterpiece. The lovely Myra Macariola, former Bb. Pilipinas first runner up, had posed for Onib, and as a reward for her efforts, she had been given a singularly lovely canvas, herself as seen from three different angles, all squeezed into a single frame.

It was a beautiful piece, with rich tones of blues, greens and reds. Her eyes were wide and limpid, the strokes as rich and as lush as her nubile body. It was a shame therefore when years after, we went our separate ways, and I could no longer feast my eyes on the Onib while tucking in a quiet dinner.

Years later, came word that the master had died. Luis “Onib” Olmedo was born in 1937, and when he took up the tools of the trade in the '60s, blazed a trail that won him disciples and fans. His death came therefore as a blow to the art world, and his works became elusive, and obviously, so much more valuable.

It is now extremely difficult to find an Onib in the market, and perhaps the only chance encounters one can have with his works are at Chateau 1771 in Greenbelt, where the owner is undoubtedly an Onib fan and has various pieces scattered around for the diners to admire. (No wonder I have come to associate Onib with gustatory pleasures).

It is fortunate then that over in Bacolod City, Charles and Mymy de Luzuriaga, the sugar city's power couple in the art world, managed to persuade the Olmedo family to unearth pieces yet unseen by the Filipino public, and make them available to the market. Starting May 5, 2012, as the first stop of an international multi-city tour and to celebrate Onib's 75th year, Charlie's Art Gallery (at the Italia restaurant) hosts a retrospective of Onib Olmedo's works.

Art bigwigs from all over were in attendance, including representatives from Salcedo Auctions and the Ateneo Art Gallery. Charlie Cojuangco, the city's biggest art patron, could not be missed as he held court. Bacolod's well known artists like Dennis Ascalon and Manny Montelibano came to pay their respects to the master and his family, who had also flown in for the occasion.

Works in various media were present, including pastel, inkwash, and pen and ink. Representative examples were “Las Senoritas,” a trio of lasses which gave me an eerie reminder of Myra's portrait and “The Siblings,” again a tri-female canvass that showcased Onib's love of the female form.

Omnipresent was the power of Onib's drawing skills, as seen in the direct gaze of “The Heiress”, a simple pen and ink on paper that conveyed, through the unsettling stare of the subject, inscrutable layers of emotions A stark contrast to the powerful stare of this paragon was “Woman with Blank Stare”, where the empty pools of the woman's orbs conveyed not just nothing, but desolation and loss.

Of special interest was “Maternal Bonding,” which had little of the red hues that are normally found in his works. Instead, we are treated to shades of brown, flesh and mauve that are refreshing beside his more vibrant works.

The piece “Famine”, a rare inkwash, is frightening and powerful, a grim reminder of the hunger we cannot seem to eradicate. Much more plebeian is the inkwash piece entitled “Native Kitchen”, a lovely depiction of local cooking implements.

Collectors of Onib will want to hasten to Bacolod City, and try to snag a piece before they are snapped up by avid fans. Yet, even if none of these works were available for sale, the trip would still be worth it, if only to reacquaint ourselves with the works of a master. A post-humous National Artist award would only validate what art lovers have known all along.

(Celebrating Onib Olmedo runs from May 5 to June 15, 2012 at Italia Restaurant, 23rd and San Agustin Sts., Bacolod City).