Arts & Culture

The Biggest Calligraffiti Wall in the Country is in Cebu

Historically, calligraphy has been defined as an art form that practices creative expression and skillful writing. Using the tip of the brush in writing, this art form still gains respect in the modern art scene.

The fusion of the writing form that means beautiful writing, calligraphy is brought to the newest medium. Calligraphy has been used in wedding invitations and certificates. But this typography has gained attention on the streets.

Local street art in Cebu varies in types and areas. Unlike many cities in the country, Cebu City has been a home for different kinds of street expressions. Graffiti continues to gain infamy in Cebu City. From stereotyping to hatred, street artists and graffiti artists are viewed to be doing illegal movements in expressing their forms of art in the streets of Cebu City.

Today, local artists now explore the combination of graffiti and calligraphy. This experiment was bravely done by Kent Anthony Sanchez.

During his high school years, Kent or commonly known as Krem, has always been interested in typography. From drawing posters and joining contests, his hobby in writing grew rapidly.

“Before, I never had the chance to buy my own materials. I used regular pencils and ball pens. Calligraphy pens are not that cheap so I saved money and used that to buy my first ever parallel pen,” he shares.

Kent Sanchez has developed his own style in calligraphy. Not satisfied with papers, he brought his techniques to the wall.

After graduating high school, he met STROKE, a team known for calligraffiti. “I was very interested in combining my interest in typography and street installations so I started researching,” Kent says. “I posted some of my wall installations online and because of this, I received positive feedbacks and these motivated me to paint more walls with calligraphy.”

But unlike traditional or contemporary calligraphy, Kent developed his own identity in this kind of typography. And with the help of his crewmate, AJ Merciful, Kent created the biggest and the widest calligraphy wall in the country. Measuring 11 meters by 3 meters, the biggest calligraffiti wall in the country was done for two consecutive days.

“I am very happy and proud of the wall we created. The techniques, of course, are first, to inspect the wall if it’s fit if it’s accessible and easy to see,” he says. “Be friendly with the brush, it was really a challenge at first especially controlling your hand because the wall is really huge,” he continues.

The biggest calligraffiti wall in the country can be viewed and passed by in Banawa, Cebu City (before arriving at CCSNHS).

Kent is also a part-time tattoo artist and as a local artist that explores different ways of artistic art expression, his visions include creating a spot painted that people will never forget. But this biggest calligraphy wall will surely be never forgotten.

“I do my art on the streets for free and I consider this form of art revolutionary because this is abstract and done freestyle,” Kent shares.

Just like any form of street art, it is normal for local artists to receive negative feedback and infamy.

Kent proudly said that this production has made him realized how powerful streets can be in elevating calligraphy as a typography.

“People say my art doesn’t contribute to anything at all but I let it go because I know I am happy with what I am doing,” Kent says.

Next to his biggest wall, he hopes to bring his art in different countries. “Maybe the uniqueness of my style will inspire other artists to explore it as well and I am very willing to help,” he assures.

Local artists experience challenges beyond their control but just like Kent who believed in his capability and talent, the biggest calligraphy wall in the country just proved how skills partnered with dreams and hard work can never go wrong.

Related Topics:Calligraffiti Kent Sanchez

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Arts & Culture

Chaos and Clarity: Zen Aesthetic in Oj Hofer’s Art

by Jing Ramos |

Oj Hofer, our fashion contributing editor, is a Fine Arts graduate from the University of the Philippines. Though he began painting at the age of eight, his artistic journey took a transformative turn in 2013. While volunteering as a costume designer for Siddhartha: The Musical, he encountered Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s One-Stroke Calligraphy, sparking a deep devotion to Japanese sumi-e painting and kanji calligraphy. Over the years, he refined his craft, using his art to share the Dharma through exhibitions while supporting the Hsing Yun Educational Foundation. In 2022, his spiritual path deepened at Nan Tien University, where he embraced Zen and Humanistic Buddhism, shaping his artistic philosophy.

“Plum Blossoms in Moonlight.” Serigraphy on abaca.

In his recent works, Hofer merges traditional calligraphy with serigraphy, drawing inspiration from his friend Charles Lahti—an internationally recognized New York-based painter and printmaker. Lahti, known for his collaborations with post-war American artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Donald Judd, Andy Warhol, and LeRoy Neiman, introduced Hofer to silkscreen techniques. Through a workshop Lahti conducted in Cebu—arranged by their mutual friend Greg Urra—Hofer integrated silkscreen into his Zen artworks, particularly those on abaca.

“The Circle of Harmony” Serigraphy and Calligraphy on abaca.

Hofer’s cross-disciplinary approach challenges conventional Zen aesthetics. His layered paintings on abaca may seem far from tranquil at first glance, but closer contemplation reveals a meditative core. His serigraph of an Enso circle, for example, initially appears chaotic, filled with Tang Dynasty poetry and overlapping, repetitive forms. Yet, by focusing on a single calligraphic element, the viewer experiences a moment of clarity—a glimpse of awakening within the visual complexity.

“Monkey Mind” Serigraphy and Calligraphy on abaca.

Even more engaging is his diptych Monkey Mind. At odds with the traditional Zen emphasis on negative space, this piece is deliberately busy, reflecting the restless nature of the mind. A distracted viewer may struggle to find a focal point, but one attuned to emptiness and presence will perceive clarity amidst the seeming disarray.

Ink and intention—creating calligraphy in support of one of my advocacies.

By fusing Zen philosophy with the discipline of serigraphy, Hofer invites his audience to look beyond surface impressions and discover stillness within movement, balance within complexity. His art does not merely depict Zen—it embodies the paradoxes at its core, offering a path to mindfulness through the act of seeing and the experience of doing.

Arts & Culture

What is Sappia? The Rice Myth Goddess of Bohol Who Helped Feed the People During a Great Famine

by Emma Gomez

The story began when the people of Bohol started to experience hunger and famine. All the livestocks were inedible and the fields were dried out leaving only weeds planted on the ground. The people prayed to the goddess of mercy, Sappia, to ask for food.

Sappia, the rice myth goddess of Bohol

Sappia, from the heavens, heard the cries of the people. She saw the dense population of weeds and offered to help them. Sappia thought of nourishing the weeds to be edible and healthy for the people of Bohol. Straightaway, she sprinkled the weed with milk from her bossom. She emptied each breast until blood came out. Before she left, she whispered to the weeds that they may be nourished and be able to feed the people.

When harvest season came, the people of Bohol quickly gathered the nourished weeds. They observed that the ones sprinkled with milk were white, while the other were red. They called the new plant rice and they replanted these in honor of Sappia, and for the people to devour.

Arts & Culture

Kimsoy’s Canvas of a Lifetime in Full Display

by Diana Gillo

There is nothing more fascinating than seeing an artist’s lifetime of work in one room. Such is the experience in Jose “Kimsoy” Yap’s third solo exhibit entitled “Kimsoy: Episodes of Mastery,” at Galerie Raphael Cebu. This serves as the truest form of homage to his enduring journey, showcasing works that span over decades.

Kimsoy with his student and muse, Zhara Rivera Mercado, at the entrance of Galerie Raphael

The exhibit speaks greatly of Kimsoy’s evolution as an artist, with his shifting mediums and remarkable variety of subjects. His creations range from heartfelt portraits of individuals he encountered along his journey to detailed landscapes inspired by the different walks of his life. The room’s layout carries the weight of his years of craft with one wall lined with pastels, another with watercolors, and another with oil painting.

As the River Flows Onward by Kimsoy Yap 2020 | Oil on canvas | 82×48 inches

The exhibit transcends beyond just the commemoration of Kimsoy’s masterful periods. It wanders more into a sense of intimacy reflecting Kimsoy’s life’s journey—from his roots as a young boy in Negros Oriental, through his pursuit of greater artistic mastery in New York, to his prominence in Cebu’s art scene. All his work freehanded, created both with his left and right hand, depicts the ways in which we all leave traces of ourselves in our work and in the world.

A Friend of Mine 1979 | watercolor on paper | 24×18 inches

In a Relaxed Mood 1977 | water color on paper | 16×19.5 inches

The opening ceremony featured Ambassador Jose Mari Cariño, alongside special guests Ivy Ang Gabas, Paolo Li, Angbetic Tan, Laurie Bouquiren of the Visayas Art Fair, and Valerie Go of Galerie Raphael Cebu. The exhibit is open until March 21, 2025.