Mar Bongalon’s charming world of nature

Mar Bongalon has an ongoing exhibit at the GSIS Museo ng Sining, his second since 1983.

While the two shows are spaced far in between, the artist did not take a long break from art making. While not active in the gallery circuit, Bongalon has remained prolific, continually turning out portraits, nudes, landscapes and still lifes.

Aside from being well-versed in a number of painting genres, he is also adept with various media. Oil, pastel and watercolor are among these.

The artist leans towards representation rather than abstraction. It was a deliberate choice, he says, saying abstraction reminds him of the chaos in the present-day world.

His skillfully rendered landscapes attest to this fact.

"Nature is the handiwork of God, that is why I like to paint nature subjects," he says.

His current exhibit, a suite of paintings about water lilies, an homage to the French impressionist painter Claude Monet, illustrates his point.

Bongalon also subscribes to the credo "nothing in excess, everything in moderation."

His portraits are often understated. Colors are used sparingly. Quite a number of works suggest almost monochromatic tones, with pastel shades of blue or red sometimes punctuating the composition.

In one work, a lovely lass is rendered mostly in earthly hues of brown, burnt and raw sienna. Dabs of white provide the highlights, while subtle contrast comes from the light aqua sweater loosely draped around the subject’s shoulder.

In spite of Bongalon’s restrained color palette, his portraits glow with a unique charm. It is said that this quality stems from his preference for his subjects to actually sit for him. The artist believes that reproductions based on still photographs tend to be stiff and lifeless.

While a subject sits for a portrait, the artist makes it a point to learn as much as he can about his subject. In every session, he makes sure his model is comfortable, and that being done, he engages them in a lively verbal exchange. The rapport achieved between artist and subject helps in creating his much-loved portraits.

He has a following among art patrons who are familiar with his talent, and he usually receives commissions from them for their personal collections.

Bongalon’s talent did not escape the notice of GSIS Museo ng Sining director Arch. Honey Fernandez, who played a key role in the mounting of the artist’s present exhibit.

The show has been warmly received and has been extended to the whole month of September. That’s more than enough time for audiences to appreciate Bongalon’s artistic talent.