Rachy Cuna: Of drama and dreams

MANILA, Philippines - Entering Rachy Cuna’s exhibit at the ground floor of the National Museum is like entering a field of dreams. Every corner of the exhibit area where his 14 art installations are displayed is filled with drama. Each artwork has a story to tell and Rachy, the country’s floral architect, proves that he is the endearing raconteur of his own drama and dreams.

Titled “Drama Cuna,” the installation show essays once again Rachy’s proclivity for making art out of objects he finds everywhere. He calls them “found objects” because “I find them in the market, in hardware store, on the road, in my garden, in my friend’s garden, in the forest, on the beach.” He is in constant exploration of how to better present his ideas and more often than not, his genius is tickled by everyday happenstance. 

For example, on one of his trips to a palengke in Quezon, he was amazed that they were still selling bakya (wooden clogs) in bulk. His creativity ran wild instantaneously. He bought dozens and dozens of pairs of the wooden clogs and colored them shocking pink. Those wooden clogs have been turned into an installation art and are now hanging in one corner of Rachy’s exhibit area at the National Museum. He entitled it “…Mo Neneng,” proving that the lowly bakya is now held in high esteem in the heart and mind of the artist. 

Those wooden clogs, for Rachy, have more meaning that just being objects for his installation art. Those bakya are, more than anything else, symbolic of Rachy’s love for his culture and heritage. Rachy has this penchant for reviving the dying art, for reinstating in the consciousness of the modern Pinoy psyche how beautiful the Filipino culture is.

If the wooden clogs are not enough to stress the point of the artist’s love for his own culture, wait till you see “Chinoy Ako,” an installation made of wooden siopao steamers that Rachy found in Chinatown. “Chinoy Ako” is perhaps the artist’s representation of himself — proving that the merry mix of Chinese and Filipino blood in him produces the best of his wit and wisdom turned into art.

Rachy loves to call his creations “unadulterated art” probably because he finds pure essence in every material he sees. In a hardware store, for instance, what others see as rolls and rolls of thin wires (kawad), Rachy sees as cutting-edge flower vases. This is one creativity he will explore all the more when he holds his public demo at the National Museum on Feb. 24 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Going back to Rachy’s take on unadulterated art, one is compelled to focus one’s attention on spherical rocks that are structurally scattered on the floor of the exhibit area. Those are no ordinary balls for they are made of lahar. Out of lahar, Rachy created “Lahar Blooms,” a testament that even those that cause devastation to the country can also be a source of inspiration for an artist like Rachy.

Rachy’s wit is always a ubiquitous ingredient of his artistry. Take, for example, “Tagay,” an installation consisting of coconut fruits and a huge jar made of blown glass. “Tagay” is the artist’s tribute to the Filipino camaraderie in the provinces, which is almost always celebrated with lambanog (local wine).

While “Kulasisi,” a native bird, has taken a pejorative connotation for people involved in illicit liaisons, Rachy made sure he would give tribute to this winged creature via his installation titled, what else, “Kulasisi.” The artwork is composed of oversized bird cages in shocking pink with birds made of pandan leaves and fossilized flowers.

Rachy’s knack for humor and fun is also evident in “Bola-bolahan” where he gives a new spin to the Bingo game. A number of Bingo shakers were turned into vases — some are lined on a bamboo pole while others are scattered on the floor. The Bingo cards were turned into flowers and at the center of these flowers are the bolillos (the numbers drawn from the shaker).

The artist’s mood for deep introspection is clearly depicted in “Papalaot,” a very small boat Rachy found in Palawan. He decorated it with wood rose and fossilized flowers. Under the spotlight, the installation artwork forebodes of a journey the artist will take in the future. (Talk is rife that a group of international artists is contemplating inviting Rachy to exhibit his “Drama Cuna” in China and New York.)

Rachy’s other installations in display include “Rafia Reef,” the artist’s take on preserving the environment, particularly our water resources; “Samyo,” a giant flower arrangement made of colourful blown glasses; “Atin Ito,” a mound of rattan sticks that is actually installed outside the exhibit area, on the grounds of the National Museum; “Karyoka,” Rachy’s interpretation of his love for Filipino native delicacy that is sweetened rice balls.

The flavor of Rachy’s installation exhibit is undeniably very Pinoy. He is very proud to celebrate his love for his culture and heritage via his drama and dreams.

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“Drama Cuna” runs until March 28 at the ground level of the National Museum.

E-mail the author at bumbaki@yahoo.com.