For the lack of other words more appropriate for an introduction, allow me to borrow Jessica Zafra’s first line (minus the “contemporary”) from one of her recent blogs…
Despite my ignorance of art or perhaps because of it, I go to quite a few exhibitions (well at least, recently). Invitations to art exhibits had become quite frequent for the past months. But I welcome the invites for the love of language, writing, learning, observing, journeying Cebu (both figuratively and literally) and seeing a world which is in many ways different from mine. After all, art is indeed language and communication.
Yesterday, I attended the opening of Abellana and his Harvest, the third part of the Martino Abellana retrospective exhibits which began in November 2008. The series aims to give tribute to Cebu’s premier visual artist. It is also envisioned to be an opportunity of instilling among Cebuanos awareness and appreciation of Cebu’s heritage in the arts via the man who, no less, led almost an entire generation of artists.
Portrait of the Aboitizes by Maestro Abellana himself.
I arrived about ten minutes before the set start of the program in Casa Gorordo. Still quite anxious and thrilled at the same time, I looked around hopeful to find a familiar face. It was a relief to see someone from RAFI whom I met from the last event that I attended; he was with a group of women who seemed to also know one another. I approached him to ask about the program and stayed with the group.
It turned out that two of the women are also visual artists – Palmy Pe-Tudtud and Arlene S. Villaver – whose works were featured on the exhibit. Still within the group I met Mrs. Lavie Deguilmo, wife of painter Adeste Deguilmo and Mrs. Marivel Galan (also a painter), Mr. Fred Galan’s spouse. They were very kind to accommodate the naïve and unaware me, thank you very much. The artworks of sixteen more artists were showcased in the art exhibition.
Mr. Celso Pepito's works
Just a few moments later, I also met renowned Cebuano cubist, Celso Pepito – a name which I only used to see on tarpaulins or on paintings that I get to view in some other various art exhibitions. Since I had a fairly longer encounter with him and Mr. Fred Galan, I shall be writing about the two of them in a later post. I hope it wouldn’t be too obvious that I was “star struck”. 
And I hope it would give justification to their persons and their art. I wouldn’t make it as an excuse that I am writing for a mere, humble blog. Alright, so that’s being defensive.
In the exhibit, I found Mr. Fred Galan’s Home Sweet Home as my favorite. Much as I want to explain why, I couldn’t exactly say the reason with artist words. I love the brightness of its colors and the comfort that I feel as I look at the painting. By comfort I shall leave that vague.
The artists whose artworks were featured at the Abellana and his Harvest Art Exhibit. Photo by Mia Belen of RAFI.
In the Cebu premiere of The Last Viewing starring Ms. Janice de Belen, Sherwin Ordoñez, Tommy Abuel, and Leandro Baldemor.
