KURIS: The First Ligad-Rivera Art Exhibit

 

My compadre Ruben “Nonoy” Casuncad, considered by many as the finest artisan in the province, together with Dr. Alexander M. Rivera, (Yes, that EENT doctor) will be launching an art event dubbed Kúris (Arts and Passion): The First Ligad-Rivera Art Exhibit on December, 2021. I am already writing about it now because as I have told you in my recent blog entry about Jun Gulapa, another illustrious artist from Sablayan, the month of February is National Arts Month as declared by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 683.

This brainchild of the two distinguished painters of San Jose is perceived to be held annually and expected to be participated by all painting enthusiasts from all over Occidental Mindoro. Well, to those who are interested, you still have ample time to coordinate with Nonoy and Doc Rivera about this upcoming “art attack” of an event.

Before going to Nonoy, allow me first to acknowledge the painter whose eyes also labored on the painting canvass and brushes and not only through the lens of his otoscope and nasal speculum. Doctor Alex Rivera is a self-taught artist who first discovered his prowess in 1998. He is into “fantastic and erotic arts” as how he described them in his Facebook account. Some of his paintings are displayed in his Barangay V clinic in San Jose. I am Doc Alex’s patient for more than a decade now because of my seasonal and perennial rhinitis.

On the other hand, Nonoy Casuncad is not only a painter, he is an all-around artist. He also make key chains, refrigerator magnet, treated driftwoods, wood carvings and decors, medals, beadworks and other “kung anik-anik”. Just name it.

I first met Nonoy in 1989 while he was working as an artist in the Vicariate-owned In Verbo Tuo Printing Press while I was with the Human Development Office or HDO. In 1998, he decided to pursue with his craft and he started an art shop called Ligad. Ligad, if my memory serves me right, according to Nonoy, stands for “Likhang Isinalalarawan sa Guni-guni at Damdamin”. Ligad has an accreditation with our provincial Department of Trade and Industry Office or DTI. At present he is more involved in wood carving and most of his clients are tourists,-both local and international, and some wholesalers outside of the province. His works always find place in trade fairs and art shows here in our locality and elsewhere for more than 23 years now. At present, he is planning to initiate a province-wide organization of artists through Kúris as its entry point.

By the way, Kúris in Hanunuo language is a stroke made with a knife and the like, a line, a scratch, a score or to line, mark, score and scratch lightly with a pointed tool or instrument. When asked about the title of the exhibit, Nonoy said: “Sa artist kasi, kapag nakaharap ka na sa canvas at nag-iisip (conceptualize) ka ng subject at concept, magsisimula ka sa kuris-kuris hanggang sa makabuo ka ng isang wangis o imahe.” The painting is on and for the period of nine months, from April to December 2021, they aimed at finishing 40 materials or paintings for the show.

The painting exhibit Nonoy and Doc Alex have in mind is something that will be participated by artists from all walks of life. For instance, every year, an exhibit will be participated by women artists, the following year will be from the ranks of the Mangyans, and so forth and so on.  It is also Nonoy’s dream to put up an art gallery in Iling Island to pay homage to the place where most of his materials for wood carvings and inspiration from her painting aside from those motivation that he harvested from the Hanunuos and other ethno-linguistic groups of the Mangyans came from.

From the start, the Local Government of San Jose through Board Member Michelle Festin-Rivera, when she still sits as the municipal tourism head, is so supportive of the initiatives of the town’s local artists. The LGU likewise pledged monetary support for said forthcoming painting exhibit in December. DTI provincial office also vouched for some considerable amount of fund for the endeavor. Nonoy is gratefully thankful of such gesture as local government's manifestation of highly considering art and culture in its PPAs and mandate.

Today, Nonoy is aiming to capacitate the town's gifted and special children with inclination in painting or arts in general from all-over and teach them basic painting lessons. He is looking forward for a future where he is introducing or teaching art to children with special needs. He said that children with such characteristics tend to be most successful when they have their own materials and spaces to work, and are permitted to make as many art products as they like. 

Nonoy believes that art experiences are good ways to hold attention, and provide children with acceptable, enjoyable ways to express their feelings. He intends to solicit funds from good Samaritans of arts to help him make this grand target a sustained, fruitful reality. Knock, knock on your generous doors.

Nonoy Casuncad is in a way building his legacy and in the process, paying it forward.

A meaningful arts month to all!

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(Photo: Ligad File)

Sablayan Artist Jun Gulapa on Komiks, Prisons and Arts

He is tracing his passion for art from two inmates in Sablayan Penal Colony (SPC) way back in the mid-70s when he was ten years old or so.

Now called Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm or SPPF, the facility was established September 26, 1954 by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 72 but was formally opened on January 15, 1955 and became part of Sablayan town in Occidental Mindoro. Diosdado “Jun” R. Gulapa Jr. was born in this place at the foot of the enchanted and majestic Mount Siburan. He and his brothers and sisters grew up in this grandiose natural landscape before the very eyes of men in orange uniform with ball and chain attached to their feet.

Jun Gulapa’s father was first assigned as prison guard in New Bilibid Prison then at Iwahig Penal Colony in Palawan and in the 50s, he was transferred in Sablayan Penal Colony and later served as penal supervisor at SPPF’s Pasugui Sub-Prison until the old sentinel hanged his uniform decades later. Their mother Corazon (nee Del Rosario) is a retired public school teacher and her union with her beloved prison guard produced eleven children.

During his childhood days at the penal colony, the young Jun was hooked and astounded by komiks and began copying the masterpieces of great Filipino illustrators Pablo S. Gomez, Hal Santiago and Jim Fernandez. Supporting his junior’s newly found enthusiasm for drawing and sketching, his old man allowed him to learn from two inmates or persons deprived of liberty who were distinguished painters when they were still freemen. Jun, now 58 years old, narrated that his father even allowed two illustrious prisoners to get out of their cell and teach his kids, Jun and Cel, the fundamentals of drawing and the beauty and mystery of art. The komiks and the crafts of the two inmates opened him in the wonderful world of arts. Even in present-day SPPF or probably in other prison facilities under Bureau of Correction (BuCor), they do not disregard the value of arts much like they regard the crux of rehabilitation. This tenet is kept alive by the present SPPF Superintendent CSINSP Jayferson G. Bon-As who enhanced the souvenir center by changing its location to make it more accessible to customers and visitors. The center showcases work of arts by PDLs such as woodcarvings, sculpture and portraits to this very day.

The Catholic chapel inside the SPPF compound is a living gallery featuring religious icons and artifacts crafted by a certain prisoner of old only known by his surname “Cueso”. B. Cueso was one of the two inmates who impressively influenced and taught the young Jun Gulapa how to draw. He cannot recall now the name of his other former maestro but the man’s memory stays in his mind forever. Incidentally, Jun Gulapa also made a gigantic painting of crucified Christ inside the same chapel and now considered one of the main religious artworks in the place of worship together with the paintings of his former PDL mentor and other artists behind bars.

“Dado”, as he is called by his childhood friends and classmates (in fact, Governor Ed Gadiano was a high school batch mate), finished his Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Advertising at University of Santo Tomas and later worked as computer graphic designer at GMA-7 and later promoted to being associate art director. He told this lowly blogger that he was one of the creative minds behind the making of the famous Encantadia, a television drama fantasy series presented by GMA Network. He also proudly revealed in my interview with him that the title card the comedy sitcom Bubble Gang is using until now was his brainchild and polished by his arty hands. In addition, Jun also crafted Angel Locsin's forehead gear in her Darna outfit including many of the show's layouts and billboards.

Dado worked outside of the province for more than 30 years and within that long years, he missed painting, his childhood passion. He is a product of old school, so to speak, so he truly missed the actual stroking of his brush in the canvass or in any surface. Finally in 2005, he resigned and went back to his land of birth and decided to stay for good in their residence at Barangay Ligaya in southern portion of Sablayan. With his separation pay in his bank account, he started a small business here and continue his passion and accepts mural and wall-to-wall paintings for such form of art now trends in European countries.

The Office of Vice-Mayor Walter “Bong” B. Marquez is on its way of creating an audio visual presentation honoring the town’s artists in lieu of the celebration of 2021 National Arts Month as declared by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). Under Presidential Proclamation No. 683, the Philippines recognizes its culture and art in different forms with the celebration of the annual National Arts Month every February. The AVP project on local artists of VM Bong symbolizes his commitment to honor his town’s homegrown artists and to provide opportunities for them to harness their creative energies in uplifting the people’s spirit, especially during this time of public health crisis anchored in this year’s theme “Alab-sining, Alay-sigla.”

I was tagged along by the members of OVM’s documentation team composed of Jasper Francisco, Erl Favilonia and Mark Marquez for a video shoot and to meet with Jun Gulapa last Tuesday, February 16 at 4-M Fontanilla Resort located in Barangay Tagumpay also of said municipality. He was there doing the large-scale murals and wall-to-wall paintings all over the newly-renovated resort owned by Ms. Maricel Fontanilla, a local entrepreneur. Watch out for the release of that audio visual presentation in the coming days. By the way peeps, the resort is a nice place for a family getaway. 

When asked how he defines “art”, the artist with high Roman nose says, “Art is infinite and it has no barrier.” He also added that in every artistic endeavor, the artist is reasserting his humanity, to remind himself and others that he is free and he exists.

Art, indeed, is the artist’s way of proclaiming, “I am still here and I am free!”

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(Photo: Jasper Francisco/Office of the Vice-Mayor Sablayan file)