Cebuano artists celebrate life

Painting, we learned early on in school, is one of the oldest forms of art, and that different people enjoy paintings for many varied reasons.

It may be the peculiar way an artist arranges and combines paint on a surface, or perhaps simply the choice of colors the painter uses evoking human emotions, such as love and joy, fear and grief. Yet others are appreciated because they portray everyday scenes, such as people at work or at play, not to mention the landscapes and seascapes and a favorite subject matter among painters – the still lifes.

Recently, Cebuanos had the rare opportunity of viewing art at its best once again, at the just-concluded painting exhibit entitled Kinabuhi – the Cebuano word for life – held at the lobby of the Montebello Villa Hotel. A total of 62 art pieces on paper, canvas, metal or wood were featured, the combined works of five artists, namely Pronnie de la Cerna, Adeste Deguilmo, Jorge Lao, Fred Galan and Celso Duazo Pepito.

Let’s meet the talented painters from the various art schools espousing different art styles using distinct art techniques.

Pronnie de la Cerna was once into music before he formally learned the elements of paintings through Cebuano artist Tony Alcoseba. The grand prize winner in the Filipino Authentic Values Art Competition and a silver medal awardee at the Martino Abellana Annual Art Competition, De la Cerna believes that, "life is like a painting – the moment you do your role properly, it will surely lead to a society of peace, harmony and understanding."

Basilan-born Adeste Dequilmo started pencil drawing at the age of three and received his first formal lessons from Alejandro Empleo, a cinema painter from his own hometown who taught him to appreciate color. His paintings do not necessarily tell a story, but the vivid colors and details provide a glimpse of what life is all about – its beauty, struggles, strength and weakness.

Fred Galan’s life revolves around brushes and canvases and he uses watercolors as his medium. A registered architect and a fine arts painter who also happens to be a master plumber, he is very much into religion. Religious subjects dominate his works. They portray tales about everyday people and teach moral lessons. Galan has won numerous prizes that include the Golden Brush Award and the Golden Medal Award from the Cebu Arts Foundation.

Jorge Lao studied painting under the tutelage of Martino Abellana, the dean of Cebuano artists. He took up further studies in figure drawing at the National Academy of Fine Arts and the Arts Students League in New York. He paints mostly scenes that capture the various moods of nature such as the tranquillity and roughness of the stormy seas. Today, he heads Kolor Sugbu, Inc. and is the administrator of the Cebu Academy of Arts.

Celso Duazo Pepito is from Daan Bantayan. A graduate of fine arts from the University of the Philippines, he asserts, "Art cannot stand by its beauty alone but needs to have a message or a vision. It is an interaction rather than a reproduction of nature and what life has to offer." His mission in life is to encourage people to continue upholding the positive Filipino values. And what better way than through his paintings, whose subjects depict family solidarity, hard work, perseverance and a strong belief in God?