Paper delights

All artists have their quirks; you can almost count this as fact. But hers are unlikely, and pretty bad-ass, to say the least.

Sinag de Leon wins triathlons by day and cuts paper art by night. Women’s champion of the 1st Subic Bay International Traithlon, first Filipina finisher of the Australian Ironman, erstwhile member of the National Triathlon Team, a former president of the UP Mountaineers, you could say her athletic feats are only matched by her passion for the arts.

Small wonder, coming from a family of artists herself (grandfather Felipe de Leon is National Artist for Music, while brother Diwa de Leon is an accomplished ethnic instrumentalist and composer). 

For her part, Sinag dabbles in paper: a medium so inherent to our culture, but often overlooked. 

In fact, in this day and age, paper is pretty much a non-topic. What’s there to talk about? They make up our books and notebooks. They come from trees. They’re an essential part of the bathroom, boardroom, and classroom. They’re money. They’re usually asked for when electronic gadgets aren’t at the ready. Occasionally, they’re also art. But that depends on who’s looking.

Detail of “Citrus Cloud” by Sinag de Leon, Papercut on paper (Iloilo Handmade-paper), 2012, 11”x11”

Here in the city, paper is strictly utilitarian. Venture out to the provinces, however, and you’re faced with a wholly different experience of it. Ilolio carries some of the finest handmade paper, which Sinag lists as a personal favorite due to the vibrant color, fine texture, and thoughtful adornments such as crushed seashells, grass, grains of rice, and chicken feathers. Bulacan is home to the best and most extensive traditions of papermaking, with the art of pastillas papermaking as its most famous. Meanwhile, Pampanga is known for the beauty and intricacy of its parol lantern designs. 

A staunch advocate of locally-made paper, Sinag has sheets from Baguio to Catanduanes to Negros to Iloilo to Davao. All are imbued with the flavor of the region it hails from, making them all the more special. And while she would sometime uses these special sheets in her paper-cut art, Sinag is also a firm believer in the practice of recycling. When in the throes of major stress, for example, simply take that bank notice or math exam, fold it into two, and cut, cut, cut.

Indeed, for Sinag, who’s often been asked about her process of paper-cutting, the answer is simple: “Gupit lang nang gupit.” (Just keep cutting.)

The novelty of paper-cutting is that everyone and anyone can do it; you can’t make any mistakes because there are no mistakes. So you accidentally cut right instead of left, or cut a skewed line instead of a straight one. No problem, says Sinag, “ituloy mo lang.” After all, no matter where your cutting takes you, the end result will always remain a surprise. Sinag, who made her first paper-cuts at seven, recalls how her father encouraged her not to hold back and increase the number of cuts, which led her to more elaborate designs. The finesse would come with practice. 

Sinag poses with her handmade art frames with a big smile.

But why paper? Sinag, who has also done wood sculpture and paintings, likens paper to that Pinoy sensibility of impermanence. Though we’re a dramatic, sentimental lot; ironically, we aren’t as obsessed with the idea of preservation as other societies are. And this, for Sinag, translates beautifully to the philosophy behind her paper-cutting. “Palagi akong tinatanong ng mga tao bakit hindi ako nag-uulit ng gawa, o nagdradrawing man lang ng template. Baka kasi hindi ko na daw maaalala ang ginawa ko. Pero para sa akin, ‘yun naman ang point. Kung confident ka na makakapag-create ka, hindi ka matatakot kung mawawala ito.” (People keep asking me why I don’t repeat my work or why I don’t even draw a template. They tell me because they think I won’t remember what I created. But for me, that’s the point. If you’re confident that you can create, you won’t be scared if you don’t remember what you’ve done before.)

The quality of paper ensures that it can’t last as long as any artwork done by stone, or wood, or oil on canvas. It also ensures less economical returns because of that. But Sinag doesn’t mind. After all, with every snip of her trusty scissors, the possibilities become endless. 

* * *

Catch Sinag from Oct. 13 to 26 at the Gallery Grey, Antipolo City; from Nov. 10 to 11 at Global Pinoy Bazaar 2012 in Rockwell; and from Nov. 8-30 at the San Beda Alabang Museum, Alabang Hills.

Contact Sinag at +62920 843 1994 or sinag.shines@gmail.com. She accepts custom orders for paper-cut art.