Philippine STAR-Swatch 'My Bullish Art' Contest: Life is oks for 2009 winners

MANILA, Philippines - There is no effect more disproportionate to its cause than the happiness bestowed by a small compliment. — Robert Brault

Last Saturday, my brother Ryder and I received more than just a small compliment; we received an affirmation that our art could indeed affect other people in a very optimistic way.

Our “Year of the Oks” entry to The Philippine STAR-Swatch “My Bullish Art Contest” won first place from among hundreds of very tough competitors from all over the country. It was a day to be proud, but rather I felt humbled by the way the Lord uses our talents for a greater cause. 

The day my brother and I decided to join the Swatch contest, we made a decision that our concept for the artwork should never state the obvious. We felt that every Tom, Dick and Harry would do just that. We wanted to be different, but we had no idea how we could set our art apart from the rest. We procrastinated for several weeks. All we could do was to pray for a vision as most of our ideas still circled around cows, bulls and other oxen species.

But the Lord works in marvelous ways, and one day, He led me and my brother to play around with the nomenclature of the theme, thus the “Year of the Oks” was conceived. We realized that we had a concept that could be transformed into something relevant and meaningful. And since it was a no-brainer that 2009 is faced with very cynical forecasts, we felt that our artwork had to overpower the negativity of the economic turmoil around us. The idea was to inspire other folks to think of reasons why 2009 will be an OK year for them. By reflecting blessings received by other people and compiling all of these into a massive mosaic, we felt confident to pursue an artistic direction that shows that positive things still happen to people who live in a world where 90 percent of the news we see on TV is bad. 

Another reason why I feel humbled by this experience is that I have come to realize that more than being appreciated as artists, my brother and I were being used by the Lord as vessels to convey a message that was bigger than us. In preparation for our entry to the contest, we posted and pitched the “Year of the Oks” concept artwork in our respective blog sites to inspire contacts to contribute photos and reasons to rejoice in 2009.

Friends, colleagues, strangers and even people based in Vancouver, Canada responded and helped us complete our contest piece.  And it is for this reason that we dare not claim that our entry was solely our achievement, as many of our friends helped us capture photos and reasons from their own set of friends.

The end result is a mosaic art piece that captures the happy and hopeful spirit of humanity, notwithstanding the crisis that currently plagues the rest of the world.

Definitely, this is one occasion when I feel the inner pleasure of the beauty of the moment passing like static electricity brushing through my skin. Our entry is probably the simplest-looking artwork among sculptures, murals, artistic photos and graphic designs that were so intricately made by very talented artists for this competition. 

I feel that you can’t really appreciate a work of art until you can understand its true meaning and purpose. My brother and I are just so elated that the judges saw the potential beyond the simplicity of the design.

We pray that our artwork would eventually be a springboard for a bigger campaign that would promote a brighter outlook for the rest of 2009. With God’s grace, we hope the movement becomes viral and will positively affect people who are feeling sad, discontented and hopeless.

It is our desire that what we have started with our “Year of the Oks” mosaic will continue to inspire others to contribute and post their reasons and OK photos either as a response to our blog.

What comes to mind is my favorite Swatch saying, “Time is what you make out of it.”  

We only have one life to live. I believe it is best to spend it with a grateful and positive spirit, which we can leave as a legacy that springs hope for the next generation.

Second-place winner is Lea Panajon, whose masterpiece was also a product of digital art. It depicts a bull that represents love, peace, and prosperity in the midst of the hustle and bustle of modern life. She won P50,000 and the Swatch Special “Bulls on Parade.” Third-place winner is Kristoffer Tolentino for his sculpture of a bull created from recycled materials, from plastic bottles and nails to trumpos and tahong. He took home P30,000 and the Swatch Special “Bulls on Parade.” Fourth place is Rolindo Beldia III for his modern interpretation and textured painting of a bull. He won P20,000 and the Special Swatch.

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The top entries to the contest will be on display at the Swatch Store, Greenbelt 5, until March 31.