Negrense Artists in Cebu: A Crossover of Visayan Talent

(SPOT.ph) Negros and Cebu are close in proximity but how the locals of the two islands speak could not be any more different. While the Hiligaynon accent is sweet and rhythmical in a way, Cebuanos speak with a rough accent, making shortcuts out of Bisaya words. While these languages differ in pronunciation, there are a couple of words that have similar meanings. An example of this is "liwat," which loosely translates to familiar resemblance. It is also the root word for "kaliwat," which means "relatives" in Bisaya and "to repeat" in Hiligaynon.

These meanings are referred to in an art exhibit titled Liwat-Liwat, which runs until the end of the year at Qube Gallery in Mandaue City, Cebu. It refers to elements that constantly recur and how these have significance both personally and within the context of society—not to mention that this is a repeat of the collaboration of the two Visayan galleries.

Liwat-Liwat features 12 artists from Negros, namely, Aeson Baldevia, Barry Cervantes, Charlie Co, Faye Abantao, Frelan Gonzaga, Guenivere Decena, Jay-R Delleva, Junjun Montelibano, Manny Montelibano, Mikiboy Pama, Moreen Austria, R A Tijing, and Roedil Geraldo. With the help of the Orange Project, Qube was able to exhibit artwork in several media including painting, sculpture, photography, collage, and other mixed media techniques. 

Also read: Photography, Comics + More Art Exhibits to Check Out This December

A Full Circle Moment for Qube and Orange Project 

Bacolod’s Orange Project and Cebu’s Qube Gallery are two of the most sought-after art spaces in their respective cities and provinces, and for them to collaborate on an exhibit of this size is a big deal. Although they’ve done exhibits before, Pia Mercado, co-director of Qube, shared that it was during the Visayas Art Fair 2021 that they were really able to bond and get to know each other. Hence, the idea of Liwat-Liwat came to be.

Mercado also worked with Charlie Co, one of Orange Project’s founders, to curate Liwat-Liwat in time for the opening of the Visayas art Fair (VAF) 2022 on November 25. VAF is one of the sustainability initiatives for Cebu to keep its recognition as a Creative City of Design under UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network. Cebu City and Baguio City are the only two cities in the Philippines that are a part of this list. 

Art as Language

"I titled my works from lines taken from the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland. The music resonated with me as if it was written about my current state. I dreamt of fathering a child, but in a twist of fate, that dream was taken away from us," shares Silay City-based photographer and graphic designer Aeson Baldavia in an interview with SPOT.ph. 

He was advised by a friend that talking more about grief eases the pain a bit faster. So, he documented the multi-dimensional process of grief that comes and goes and comes again. The photos incorporated in Baldevia’s work were chosen to visualize his feelings about the situation. He even included an audio recording of his personal letters with the ambient sound taken from Danjugan Island and a lullaby version played in a kalimba, which connects to his wife’s dream of lulling their child to sleep with the instrument.

Jay-R Delleva’s acrylic painting “Never-ending journey” was inspired by his young daughter and her toys in creating characters and scenes. In the painting, a young girl on horseback is traversing a river, accompanied by animals which are perhaps her pets, an umbrella as if preparing for all weather, and water toys including a rubber ducky and an origami boat. Delleva said that his piece is about the cyclical journey of life wherein no matter who you are or where you’re going, we all find ourselves in the same situation in one way or another. 

While Delleva and Baldevia summoned their creativity from their personal experiences, there were also a few artists like Frelan Gonzaga, Rodeil Geraldo, and Mikiboy Pama who portrayed events happening in society.

Frelan Gonzaga’s take on doing the hard work to get through the day has two versions, both of which were created with spray paint. Rodeil Geraldo’s and Mikiboy Pama’s work both tackle war in different ways. While the latter’s “A Damned Freak Show” is a commentary on the relentless cycle of modern-day warfare, the former created an acrylic painting on wood that represents how humans are affected by the war around them and the war within themselves. 

The Creative Process 

Delleva is known for his surreal paintings that are painted with bright colors. When asked if it’s difficult to balance how light a piece looks with how heavy the message he is trying to convey, he shared that it is difficult, but it’s just a matter of setting a contrast with his work, balancing between the story and the visual representation. 

Moreen Austria observed that women make the same mistakes in life and love and proposed that only when they can learn from their mistakes can they attain their ideal selves with "Progression of You." The piece consists of metal sculptures of dresses as icons of women’s feminine strength. 

Faye Abantao’s "Stuck on a Loop" depicts a close relative’s nightly rituals like locking the front food, arranging the shelves, and positioning his slippers as habits make him feel safe and give him a sense of control. The piece was made in her typical process of image transfers on paper, later mounted onto canvas, incorporating the wear and tear the transfers undergo upon application. According to Abantao, it took a month to complete the piece. One of the challenges she had in making the piece was having to observe the consistency of the nightly rituals and document it just to have a comparison of notes. 

The Significance of Creative Collaboration 

Visayan art has been making waves in the last decade, and it’s all because of the art spaces and platforms like Qube Gallery, Orange Project, and Visayas Art Fair that push artists from all disciplines and believe in them enough for the world to see. Qube Gallery even won the "Best Gallery Award" at the prestigious Fira Internacional D'Art De Barcelona Art Fair last November in Barcelona, Spain. 

Exhibits like Liwat-Liwat are a testament to how powerful collaborations are, whether that be between curators and artists or between Bacolod and Cebu. Art is already powerful in itself but when creative collaborations happen, it does more than just provoke and comfort, it connects. 

Liwat-Liwat runs until December 31 at Qube Gallery is at 3/F Design Center, A.S. Fortuna Street, Mandaue City, Cebu. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.