4 artists take the spotlight at Sentro Artista exhibit

MANILA, Philippines – Just weeks after successfully mounting the biggest art competition in the country’s history, Sentro Artista continues to live up to its reputation as one of the leading platforms in the local art scene, this time with an exhibit titled “Synchronicity” featuring works of contemporary artists. 

The exhibit showcased the works of four visionary artists representing various eras, mediums and styles, exclusively in one place and for a limited time.

To be featured this month are multi-disciplinary artist Omi Reyes, prolific visual artist and sculptor Valen Valero, jewelry maker and sculptor Anita del Rosario, and Salvador “Buds” Convocar, a visual artist known for his unconventional art pieces.

Reyes, who humbly started as a textile painter in the 80s and has made a name for himself for innovation and versatility, said his motivation has been always the same for more than four decades now. 

“I learned that in my years of practice, it is my passion for art that has kept me going,” he explained. 

Reyes was a graduate of the University of the East and despite experiencing hardships early on in his career, he never let circumstances limit his imagination and desire to expand his versatility. 

Valen Valero, on the other hand, has always been on the lookout on how she can always evolve and find new meanings in her work. This mindset has given her a reputation as a prolific visual artist and a sculptor. 

“My works are a reflection of my thoughts and beliefs. This reflection is my freedom park,” she said. This dynamism has enabled Valero to mount and join several group and solo exhibits since 2001.

When it comes to jewelry making and sculpting, del Rosario has crafted hundreds of works of art for several decades now. Her pieces have catapulted her as one of the top women artists in the country. Her journey from jewelry designing to becoming a respected contemporary artist is as inspiring as her iconic lucky 8 series to mention a few of her wide array of art pieces. 

“I only use what I have or what is available to me,” she said.
 
Del Rosario’s artwork has been featured in several solo and group exhibits at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and other art venues. These exhibits have solidified her stature as one of the best women artists in the country in 2015.

Concovar is no pushover either. He is recognized as one of the prominent Filipino artists of our time. He has earned his place in the art scene through his various paintings, pastels, graphic designs, drawings and mixed media pieces. Aside from mounting solo and participating in group exhibits, Concovar is also an educator, sharing his knowledge and experience by inspiring the next generation of visual artists from De La Salle University-College of Saint Benilde, St. Scholastica’s College, University of the East and Far Eastern University.

“Through a unique mix of steampunk, up-cycling and use of iridescent colors and metallic foils, I try to create captivating objects of art that make the everyday mundane into masterfully stunning pieces. Using raku inspired finishing techniques to create emotion filled textures, my work reflects a remarkable fusion of imagination, sci-fi and hints of fictional and re-imagined archaeology,” he explained.

Aside from the individual works of the four artists, Sentro Artista will also feature the first ever collaboration between Reyes and Valero which is a culmination of years of contemplating of what ifs before the art gallery finally made it into a reality.

“Collaboration is art itself. It is an opportunity too to get to know another artist’s soul and vision that in the end, it gives you the chance to create a new realm, of a new expression. And working with Val is much welcome because although she is younger than me it is a step towards new waters,” Reyes explained.

Both agree that the experience was very challenging and at the same time, an exciting one that eventually resulted into something extraordinary. While the two have been contemplating a partnership for the longest time, it never materialized until now.

“Sir Omi used embossed wood objects and placed them in different areas of the canvas. He did the background and gave me some space to work on. I decided to add details such as clouds, ladders, and my signature encrypted alpha numerics. I enjoyed creating something new by using monochromatic hues which are very different from my usual pop of colors,” Valero added.

The Reyes and Valero collaboration produced at three art pieces. Dubbed as Cloud and Ladder Cogs 1,2 &3, Reyes and Valero’s works are visually engaging and more importantly, easily experienced.

Despite being relatively new in the art scene, Sentro Artista is coming off a very successful staging of the “Hindi Umuurong sa Pagtulong” art competition last month. In partnership with the PCSO, the contest was the biggest in the country’s history and offered more than P2 million in prize money.