Artists have been in this world since who knows when. From as simple as drawing a picture to creating award-winning films, their outputs served as both entertaining and meaningful to their audience.
Here in Cebu, we have unquestionably contributed equal share of talents. As years go on and on, the Cebuano art scene is continuously growing, adapting and evolving at the same time.
Last year, the Cebuano creative circle proved that art’s life is unending. Galleries of well-known Bisaya artists are still highlighted events. In fact, some newbies who aspire to participate in the art scene showed not only good potential skills but perceive themselves as people who can actually make a difference. And I’d like to quote Maria Gigante’s answer in Binibining Cebu 2017, “As a millennial, I have learned that you should never be afraid of being the same. Being one in an army of people who are ready and willing to make a difference in the world.”
That rings true to these three artists who not only earned the limelight in visual arts, but also deserve to be role models in our society.
The Archiver: Mark “Kidlat” Copino
Marc Copino, more famously known as Kidlat, is known for his minimalist stencil works. He stopped attending art school and made his way to the art scene in a different approach.
Have you always been this artistic?
“Yes. I developed my skills through my passion in street art. My first exhibit was in Kukuk’s Nest in 2005. That time, it really wasn’t something of a big deal. But last year, I got the opportunity to have a show in Qube Gallery and that, for me, was something more.”
“Ang Pagpanimpalad sa Managhigala Didto sa Groto sa Punta “
Where do you get your inspiration?
“Mostly from everywhere, I’m quite the observer and I would usually just soak everything up like a sponge. The main inspiration though is my kid, Elias. Seeing him grow up brings a lot of memories from my own childhood and I would incorporate those in my art. In fact, he’s my model.”
Who are your role models when it comes to art?
“I have a lot of role models, it’s really hard to put them all in one list. I do appreciate the classical painters though, like Picasso, Francis Bacon and Michael Borremans.”
What projects are you currently working on?
“Currently I’m just experimenting with different styles in using stencils, some commissioned works which were recently finished. Mainly all just in preparation for my next solo show this year.”
“Mga Hunghong sa Labang-labang nga Duwa”
“Barko-Barko”
Other than visual arts, is there any other type of art you want to explore?
“I’ve always fantasized of making art through sound. Also Performance art. I actually tried performance art years ago but I want to make more now.”
As an artist, what do you think is your role in society?
“That’s a big question. You see, I have this need to create and how I see myself is more of an archiver of people’s experiences. I collect ideas, feelings and situations from everybody — categorize them and basically show it to the audience.”
What is your message to young aspiring Cebuano artists?
“Have fun. That’s the main thing. If you don’t have one then hey, what’s the point?”
The Visionary: Jayson “Daot” Bacunador
Daot may ring a bell or two. A graduate from University of the Philippines, his works are mostly influenced by pop culture. Colorful and surreal, he takes the audience to another dimension of how he sees everything.
Have you always been this artistic?
“As far as I can remember, it may have been in kindergarten. My mother is artistic and I can still remember how supportive she was back then– until now. But I remember how my skills were sharpened in high school because I’ve always joined poster-making contests. And of course, I enhanced it through graffiti.”
Sightseer
Where do you get your inspiration?
“Almost anything can be my inspiration. But when it comes to style, I’m inspired between pop art and realism. I have also developed a habit in putting orbs in my works which is inspired by the three psyches of a person: the id, ego and super ego.”
Who are your role models when it comes to art?
“I’ve always idolized artists whose works can not only be seen in canvas, but also in murals, ads, shirts or shoes even. Kaws [Brian Donnelly] is one of my favorite. His works are seen almost anywhere.”
What projects are you currently working on?
“I’m working with something commission-based but it would be nice to have another gallery this year– may it be solo or part of a group. There a lot of art events this year that I will be participating on and I aim to grow my audience.”
Other than visual arts, is there any other type of art you want to explore?
“Yes. I’ve always wanted to try sculpting. I want to make a character and maybe experiment on how he should look like. I mean, as an artist, it’s hard trying to find your own identity and exploring is my way of enhancing my skills.”
As an artist, what do you think is your role in society?
“I have big dreams for myself and for this world. I would consider myself as a provider of something interesting and expose it to people who are deprived from visual art. I want to inspire other artists, especially new ones.”
What is your message to young aspiring Cebuano artists?
“Dedicate your time to your craft, I guess. Be consistent in your progress and your attitude towards your works. Don’t be afraid of criticisms because that’s one significant element for you to evolve.”
The Mediator: Lhee Deiparine Taneo
Lhee is another contemporary artist who unexpectedly found her edge due to her thesis in University of the Philippines. Shells imported from Olango Island is transformed by the artist into a beautiful mosaic piece.
Have you always been this artistic?
“Unlike others who were born artistic, I wasn’t. When I was young, my dad had always been crafty and seeing him creating stuff made me interested in art. Apparently that interest became an urge to learn which is why I went to art school. In fact, most of my skills were developed through education already.”
Where do you get your inspiration?
“I’m inspired by random everyday thoughts that I consider relevant and should be taken consideration of.”
Who are your role models when it comes to art?
“One of the people I look up to is Frida Kahlo. I admire her strong personality and her perspective despite her tragic and melancholic life. Another artist I like is Jason Dussault. He makes tiles mosaic and they are all beautiful.”
What projects are you currently working on?
“Last year I was able to have my solo exhibit. This 2018, I am currently working on another exhibit. On the other hand, I make portraits every now and then if someone would request it.”
Other than visual arts, is there any other type of art you want to explore?
“My family have showed great interest in music. Maybe art through music would be nice to try. I also like the idea of making films especially documentaries. The thing is, it’s safe to say that I still have more room to grow. Maybe if I have more resources, I’d be glad to experiment on what else I am capable of.”
As an artist, what do you think is your role in society?
“I’d like to see myself as someone who reminds other how important it is to co-exist with each other. Most of the people are ignorant about what other’s are going through. Artists, for me, can be in other people’s shoes because I think we are keen enough to notice the things that most people overlook.”
What is your message to young aspiring Cebuano artists?
“Remain human matter how big you become.”
Kidlat, Daot and Lhee represent all artists not only in Cebu but all over the world. The way they see themselves as an active part of the society surely is an inspiration inside and outside their circle.
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In an effort to be more visible to the Cebuanos, artists have begun movements that all echo the same call: support local art.
One place in Cebu that has been an avenue for local artists to show their talents is at The Crossroads, a lifestyle district where things come alive through community and collaboration. Here, there is a showcase of some of the best local brands alongside art, design, and craft showroom-gallery spaces in a work-play community.
Just last July, the CEVOLUTIÓN was launched at the Crossroads. It is a public art series made up of murals done by six artists, namely: Golda King, DAOT, Lean Reboja, KIDLAT, Ronyel Compra and Ivan Zaldarriaga.
Take a walk around the Crossroads and admire the murals scattered around the vicinity, almost blatantly in your face to remind you that they’re there, just like the local artists striving to create a collective consciousness of their existence.
Also located at The Crossroads is the Qube Gallery, a premier art space in southern Philippines that initiates, creates, and showcases contemporary arts and ideas. Many artists have poured out their hearts (that is, their art) at this gallery.
Qube Gallery’s director, Dennis Montera, has an ongoing exhibit. Witness his twentieth solo exhibition, A State of Introspection. Based in Taiwan to finish his Doctorate in Creative Industries Design in the National Cheng Kung University, Dennis has been supported by the University of the Philippines’ Doctoral Studies Fund, as a tenured faculty of the Fine Arts Program of the University of the Philippines Cebu.
Never Would Have Guessed It Would Turn Out This Way by Dennis Montera
The year 2016 recorded the coldest winter in Taiwan. In this worst of circumstances, Dennis Montera created his gentlest paintings—the Winter Itch and Pinyin series. These featured muted color fragments layered translucently one upon another, all in stark contrast to his previous color-laden, highly-texturised body of works. This newfound aesthetic of sparsity, borne in a strange country, follows through in a collection of oeuvres for A State of Introspection.
Method to My Madness by Dennis Montera
The multitude of discourses he has been amassing as an artist, educator, art advocate, gallery director, among others, correlate to the density of layers piling on his abstractions on canvasses through the years that have defined his art practice.
Dennis continuously explores the definition of the painterly through experimentation of new processes introduced by new materials. Informed by an institution steeped in traditional representational art, his gesturals are arguably acts of aggression. He translates defiance as tactility of differences, integrating bitumen and texturizers with acrylic paints in his works.
]]>Meet Cebu’s Young Creatives of 2016.
Language Leaders
Rowell “Medyo Maldito” Ucat, Kurt Fick, and Therese Villarante
Photography by Toni Marie Despojo/Originally published in Zee Lifestyle, April 2016
Therese Villarante, Rowell Ucat and Kurt Fick are Cebu-based creative professionals making a big splash in their hometown through their individual and collaborative works.
Whether she performing in a production of Siddharta: The Musical, or writing music for the Visayan Pop (VisPop) songwriting competition, Therese is a ray of sunshine for the local creative art scene. Rowell Ucat is more popularly known as Medyo Maldito, and is one of the most prolific YouTube celebrities in Cebu today, thanks to his increasingly popular hugot videos. Kurt Fick‘s rise to superstardom with HAHAHAhasula— a song he directed, edited and performed—has opened people’s eyes to the beauty of Cebuano music and storytelling. – Verne Ahyong
Music’s Muses
Lourdes Maglinte, Vincent Eco, and Nina Alcoseba
Photography by Toni Marie Despojo/Originally published in Zee Lifestyle, April 2016
Let’s face it. Music in our precious city needs a drastic makeover. Nobody knows this more than 22 Tango Records, an independent local record label determined to address this conundrum head on.
22 Tango Records is home to some of Cebu’s most talented homegrown musicians and songwriters, like Lourdes Maglinte who is great at coming up with witty, albeit painfully true, punch lines in everything she writes and sings; and Vincent Eco, who you can always count on for truthful lyrics that open up wounds and folk melodies that touch the soul. And then there’s Nina Alcoseba, a free spirit with a good head on her shoulders who is easily the ultimate multitasker of the street team—she writes, takes photos, coordinates with artists, and even hosts some of the events. – Micah Almazan
People in Action
Ernest Dino and Charlene Virlouvet
Photography by Dan Douglas Ong/Originally published in Zee Lifestyle, April 2016
Whether acting on stage or filming from behind the scenes, Charlene Virlouvet and Ernest Dino are reinvigorating theater and independent film in Cebu.
Charlene was 13 years old when she fell in love with theater, when her mother enrolled her in the Out of the Box Theater summer program run by Daisy Baad. That same year, Charlene joined a local production of The Vagina Monologues, and since then has chosen live theater as her weapon of choice to promote her advocacies. Ernest, meanwhile, started filmmaking in college while earning his political science degree at the University of the Philippines-Cebu. His film group is named Retaso Media, and it is also the title of his film that won third place at the 2014 Binisaya Film Festival. – Verne Ahyong
Creative Clique
Myka Arnado, Cecilia Martinez, Bea Sagun, Kae Batiquin, and Mirella Gallego
Photography by Mark Philip Dales/Originally published in Zee Lifestyle, April 2016
Calling themselves a social movement, Create Cebu aims to promote a more livable Cebu through public art, and to showcase Cebuano creativity and encourage a culture of creation and open expression. They also hope to build a bridge between art and the community—to infuse art into Cebu’s public spaces in order to make it accessible to all. Truly a passion project, these young Cebuanas believe in creating brighter, more livable urban spaces where the rich Cebuano history, identity and culture are visibly alive in the city. – Bea Ybanez
Food Friends
Seby Pelaez and Mitz Vikki Jao
Photography by Toni Marie Despojo/Originally published in Zee Lifestyle, April 2016
The convenience of having your food cravings immediately delivered to your door is now possible with foodpanda, a downloadable app that connects you to your favorite restaurants with a few taps. Whether you’re craving spicy lechon for a hearty lunch or cold milk tea on a hot afternoon, foodpanda brings your favorite dishes right to your doorstep.
Launched in March 2012, foodpanda has headquarters in Germany and is now in 40 countries worldwide. By 2014, it had made its way to the Philippines and finally reached Cebu by November of that year. Sebastian Pelaez takes care of leading the team in all aspects of the business—from acquiring new restaurants, to marketing the product on online and offline channels, and overseeing that all service hits the guaranteed delivery time, while Mitz Vikki Jao is in charge of introducing the brand to the public—a feat deemed successful, considering the app’s popularity today. – Carlo Rivera
Bazaar BFFs
Charmaine de Leon and Ruby Pansoy
Photography by Toni Marie Despojo/Originally published in Zee Lifestyle, April 2016
Young architecture graduate Charmaine de Leon was at a music event, walking by the stalls that were peddling a wide assortment of wares—from the most basic items to the quirkiest fashion finds, from unique culinary creations to dessert favorites—when she had her token “eureka!” moment.
Despite the huge crowd present, there wasn’t much foot traffic along these said stalls. Understandably so, because people don’t really go to a music festival to shop. There surely must be a better setting to showcase their products, Charmaine thought, so she rounded up friends Ruby Pansoy and Monica Posadas. Together they came up with what would later on be called the Pop District Bazaar, which has provided Cebuanos with a unique shopping experience, while opening up new opportunities for young entrepreneurs to reach their market and go after their dreams. – Bea Ybanez
Dance Troupe
Mac Viros, French Manla, Jasper Borres, Joshua Cypres, Arnel Biscarra, Coody Rodriguez, Gian Chua, and Yan Perez
Photography by Dan Douglas Ong/Originally published in Zee Lifestyle, April 2016
It’s hard not to get caught up in the beat when you’re watching a group of dancers perform—synchronized, upbeat and just plain energetic, it’s enough to make you wish you could move like that yourself. Such is the feeling when watching Cruise Control perform. With various gigs that include regular performances at SM Seaside City, the group of boys has shown that they’re all about the movement, and they’ve got the fans to prove it. – Shari Quimbo
Hyper Active
Arianna Lozada, Adam Hechanova, Bryan Tan, Matthew Basabe, and Arianne Albia
Photography by Dan Douglas Ong/Originally published in Zee Lifestyle, April 2016
In developing individual personalities, Hyper Cebu is made up of a team with a unified desire to bring topnotch entertainment to Cebu—with events that are well planned out, affordable and readily accessible. Their shows feature new waves of music introduced by a wide lineup of DJs. The group also aspires to contribute to the local economy by drawing more tourists to the venue, and incessantly promoting Cebu culture and hospitality. – Carlo Rivera
Design Dossier
Kidlat and Jean Candice Yu
Photography by Toni Marie Despojo/Originally published in Zee Lifestyle, April 2016
Cebu City has a vibrant art scene, but there is more art to experience in Cebu than those found in museums and galleries. Street art can now be viewed all over the city, thanks to Kidlat and his fellow artists, while calligraphy as created by Jean Candice Yu now appears on everything from corporate logos to wedding invitations. – Verne Ahyong
photography Toni Marie Despojo, Dan Douglas Ong, and Mark Philip Dales makeup by Janice Barillo and Arnauld hair by Gino Fonghe shot on location at Unos Design
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Zee Lifestyle‘s April 2016 Youth Issue: Raine Baljak (Photography: Dan Douglas Ong | Styling: The Blaq Mafia | Makeup: Arnauld | Hair: Gino Fonghe | Locale: 8 Hills Farm)
Miss Cebu 2016 Raine Baljak graces the cover. The sought-after model, radio jock and aspiring singer-songwriter talks about her advocacies and how she plans on using the crown to fulfill her causes.
Raine joins her fellow beauty queens Miss Beauche International 2015 Steffi Aberasturi, Sinulog Festival Queen 2016 Cynthia Thomalla, and Miss Earth 2014 Jamie Herrell in a Scream Queens-inspired fashion spread depicting a night out in some of Cebu’s most unexpected places.
THE QUEEN CROWD. Raine Baljak, Jamie Herrell, Steffi Aberasturi and Cynthia Thomalla in a Scream Queens-inspired fashion editorial (Photography: Joseph Ong | Styling: The Blaq Mafia | Hair and Makeup: Chady Pantaleon and Nicko de la Peña)
Continuing the trend of highlighting Cebu’s most promising personalities, the Youth Issue presents its annual list of people to watch out for. 22 Tango Records’ Lourdes May Maglinte, Vincent Eco and Nina Alcoseba; Create Cebu’s Myka Arnado, Cecilia Martinez, Bea Sagun, Kae Batiquin and Mirella Gallego, Foodpanda’s Seby Pelaez and Mitz Vikki Jao; Cruise Control’s Mac Viros, French Manla, Jasper Borres, Joshua Cypre, Arnel Biscarra, Coody Rodriguez, Gian Chua and Yan Perez; Hyper Cebu’s Matthew Basabe, Arianna Lozada, Bryan Tan, Arianne Albia and Adam Hechanova; Pop District Bazaar’s Charmaine de Leon and Ruby Pansoy, Retaso Media’s Ernest Dino, musicians Kurt Fick and Therese Villarante, Youtube sensation Rowell “Medyo Maldito” Ucat, theater actress Charlene Virlouvet, and visual artists Jean Candice Yu and Kidlat all prove that youth isn’t wasted.
This month, we also talk to VECO E-Learning Center’s Genesis Raña and Anton Perdices, Australian artist Libbet Loughnan, and gubernatorial candidate Winston Garcia, and find out how they’re taking steps to improving the Queen City.
Read more in Zee Lifestyle’s Youth issue, out on stands next month. Grab your copies at National Bookstore and Fully Booked. For subscriptions, click here, or download the Magzter app on your device and search for ‘Zee Lifestyle’.
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