Dranreb Belleza changes focus from acting to painting

Reb Belleza is set to hold a solo art exhibit in August at the Art Circle - Bahay ng Alumni in UP Campus Diliman campus.

The last time Dranreb Belleza appeared on the big screen was over a decade ago when he did a cameo in the Cinema One Originals Filmfest entry Slumber Party, a comedy film directed by Emmanuel dela Cruz.

After 2012, Dranreb, or Reb as I am used to calling him, completely focused on his other passion: Painting. His strong presence in the art scene is felt by the art community who has seen his works during his solo art exhibits and group painting events.

“I’m finalizing my next solo show which will happen in August at Art Circle located at the (ground floor of) Bahay ng Alumni in UP Campus (Diliman),” Reb happily revealed in our online conversation a few days ago. “It will be a homecoming show with the first gallery that believed in me. I showed my latest works and I was convincing them (Art Circle owners Pipo and Kitten Alcantara) that I’d like to work on optical illusion (art), a style that creates or produces an effect that the painting is moving. That’s what I want to show.

Reb shared that a client from Baguio City ordered a 12 ft. x 4 ft of his artwork with dots as pattern. ‘When you look at it, it’s like vibrating because of the colors that I put together.”

He furthered, “And with that style, I sold a lot (of paintings) and many were commissioning me for that. For the first time, I want to show everything on dots. It’s  homage actually to Nena Saguil, a Filipina painter who lived in Paris. She worked on dots. I’ve been working on dots since the year 2000.

“The last time I showed the dots painting was in 2004 when my Ninong FPJ (Fernando Poe Jr.) passed away. And those who had seen it, placed their orders.”

Reb said he has no specific style on his paintings unlike other artists who can easily be identified for their works. “I don’t have a particular style because I like to take my audiences on a different kind of journey every time they get to see my works.”

His artistic talent, he added, was first recognized for his notable work on canvas with clowns as his subject. “I started with clowns which was, for me, a metaphor for a carnival of show business.”

Some of Reb’s artworks: Ang Asul Ni Fernando, Mga Liham Para Kay Ina, Visions of Eden (Photos from Leon Gallery).

Reb admitted that even though he has been more active in the art scene at present, he never loses his interest in acting or performing. That’s why, every time he holds an art exhibit, Reb makes it a point to open the event with some entertainment.

“I always open my show with a band. I’ve been playing music with Color It Red. The band has been with me during my exhibits for the past 20 years because I want to open up my shows with a dash of entertainment. I play the harmonica with them. Sometimes, I also do performance art so the show becomes inclusive of all branches of art – there’s music, visual art and theater performance.”

He held his first solo exhibit in 1993 at the Music Museum “and my Ninong FPJ was the first person who came,” Reb mused.

“Ninong FPJ sent me to school in the States at Santa Monica College. I studied visual communication which was a continuation of my studies from UP (University of the Philippines). I wanted to go to UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) but the tuition was too much. And then, pinagbigyan ako ng Ninong ko to study Art History: The Renaissance one summer at UCLA so, nakapag UCLA rin ako.

“And then I went back to UP and I shifted to studio arts, which was painting, because I thought advertising wasn’t my call,” he recounted.

Reb pointed out that the context of his art always has something to do with filmmaking. “Plus, there’s some sort of performance on my exhibits. When people go to my show, it’s really a show, so I can’t say that I’ve stopped acting. The only difference is I don’t appear in films or teleseryes anymore.”

Reb is working on Dots.

Recently, Reb was invited to guest on a game show and he was told that it would also serve as a screen test for a TV series. But he politely declined.

“One thing that stopped me, I have a mental (health) issue. I’m bipolar so I might not be able to stay during the late hours of filming the teleserye because I need to sleep at a certain time.

“Honestly, I’d like to do it (acting) again pero nauuna ‘yung nerbiyos. And if ever I would be involved in cinema, it will be behind the cameras.”

Reb, the son of seasoned actress Divina Valencia, started in show business at three years old. He was one of the most notable cast members in Kaluskos Musmos. Prior to being in the kiddie gag show, Reb was already being billed among famous stars like FPJ. He also became part of the teen variety show That’s Entertainment in the ‘80s.

Below are excerpts of our conversation. Read on.

What are you when you’re alone?

“Still. That’s the first thing that came to my mind knowing that God is with me. It’s very important. I may sound like a fanatic of Jesus Christ but well, I am, because something happened to me noong na ICU ako. I bargained with God so I’m thanking Him for me being alive today. When I’m alone in my thoughts, I’m still. I imagine a kinder world. That’s me when I’m alone.”

What is it like to be you?

“Difficult. This is a sign of me that is very chatty, happy to be able to talk to you but I also am very moody. I have depression so sometimes I cry at the news. I’m very difficult and sometimes people see it in me because I’m not afraid to show them that side of me.”

What means to you the most?

“(My) relationships with everybody -- my wife, my immediate family and I have to say, my dog Martha.”

Reb performs with Cookie Chua and the Color It Red band as opening number for his art exhibit.

What is your family like?

“We are a crazy, modern family. I’m the only male in the house and well, my other dog Macho. We are the two males in this house because there’s a total of nine females in the house -- a staff of four nannies, my daughter, my wife and three female dogs. Lahat babae, so iba ang dynamics because they’re very open with their feelings.

What do you know about love?

“Unconditional. Honestly, the basis of my wife, Valerene, and I being together for almost 13 years now is because we are honest to each other. Honest to a fault, no secrets. And even with my friends, my love for them is unconditional.”

What are you like as a husband?

“Patient. I’m very patient with my wife. Mapagbigay ako sa kanya, kung ano ang gusto n’ya sige ibigay ang hilig. And yes, she’s always right (laughs). Happy wife, happy life.”

What are you like as a friend?

“I’m so giving, to a fault. My wife can discern those who take advantage of me because I don’t see them. My wife protects me from people who I think are my friends but are actually opportunists. My circle of friends is very small. So, I call my wife my guardian angel because she’s always right when she says something about a certain person. But I am a very generous friend.

“My best friend since I was four years old is still my best friend to this day. He’s Ramon Christopher Gutierrez. We understand each other just by looking each other in the eye.”

What do you want right now?

“I want world peace. It may sound like a beauty pageant answer to you but it’s true, we need world peace and we need to address climate change.”

What do you think about life?

“It’s a challenge. Life is really challenging. If you have peace of mind in one day, count yourself blessed because you never know what’s gonna happen the next day, or even later in the day after this conversation.”

What is your love language?

“I’m very physical, I’m touchy and when I profess my love it’s with tears. Umiiyak ako pag sinasabi kong mahal ko ‘yung isang tao.”

Reb with his wife Valerene de la Riva-Belleza.

What’s the best thing about you?

“I’m authentic. What you see is what you get so bahala ka na kaya sinsaabi ko I try not to make people see the dark side of me. I try to put my best foot forward. I’m just me. Take it or leave it, wala akong kaplastikan.

What hurts you?

“Dishonesty and betrayal.”

What makes you happy now?

“My family, my dogs, art materials, and health insurance because without it, it’s so difficult when you get sick.”

Reb and best friend Ramon Christopher Gutierrez.
Reb and his Ninong Fernando Poe Jr. in L.A.

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