MANILA, Philippines - Sometime in the early 2000s I accidentally reinvented myself as an artist. My daughter Mia, who is truly the artiste, was the inspiration and the catalyst in this turning point of my life.
She had just presented a show at her school gallery in Art Students League in New York City. This was a requirement of the grant she had won, the MacDowell Grant. And subsequently she wanted to bring this show to the Philippines to share with her audience. We decided to hold the exhibit at L’arc en Ciel, which at that time was plainly a studio where a few friends and myself painted regularly.
And so L’arc en Ciel Gallery was born.
While in town, Mia also gave a painting workshop “Faces and Figures†in our new gallery. More painting classes followed. So the participants and myself painted together under different mentors for many years thereafter, accumulating quite an inventory of works, prompting us to have group shows at Ayala Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Manila, The Picasso, The Enterprise, The Bellevue Hotel Manila. We have also participated at Art in the Park, being one of the top-grossers since year one.
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These are the members of L’arc en Ciel Atelier: Ditas B. Dominguez, Margie R. Villonco, Pilar L. Quiros, Miguel G. Buhay, Carla Kim (HyeSook Jang), Connie R. Quirino, Stella Kim, Maridi G. Nivera, and Alfred Galura (who was already an established artist when he was included in the roster of artists). We also have three generations of Herbosas: Elaine, Mia and Nina (12 years old). Nina started training with the group at age six.
A few days ago, I attended a meeting of gallery owners participating in ManilArt from Oct. 9 to 13. I realized how my gallery was a baby compared to the well-known participants — Finale and Duemila, to name a couple. Yet we all had one end in mind: to present an art forum for our audience to the best of our abilities. To curate and mount the works of our artists to a discriminating audience at SMX Aura.
May our works convey our souls to you.
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Special thanks to all the organizers, especially Robert Bjorn Santos, who is instrumental in our joining this prestigious art event.