DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/20 April) — Staging an art exhibit with well refined oeuvres in different media may seem confusing and disorienting to the curious viewer and the art enthusiast alike.
But the five men who comprise the art group Tabula Rasa pulled it off with flair and substance when they staged their second art exhibit in The Annex of SM City Davao this week. The exhibit is a culmination of the “universal vision” of the five men.
Artist and art educator Bong Perez said that Tabula Rasa was formed earlier this year with the core objective to bringing contemporary fine art to people.
Bong Perez’ depiction of children and innocence in oil on canvas
He said that Tabula Rasa’s artistic endeavors are geared towards aligning their various visions in art and foster cohesion even when all five of them work with media—from sculptures to paintings—and have different specializations.
The result is a unique art experience that walks the viewer through pop art, social realism, still life, and everything in between.
Meet the artists
Bai Manginsay is a well-traveled artist and is an expert on advertising and art. Earlier this year, he mounted his fourth solo exhibit called Transition.
Bai, who considers himself to be an “adman,” has won 18 major international and local awards. He is also the first Filipino art director listed in the 72nd International Art Director’s Annual—a book of art directors. His magnum opus is perhaps his painting of Pope Benedict XVI, which is now in the Vatican.
Daryl Descallar is a fine arts (major in advertising) graduate of the University of Santo Tomas. He works as a freelance artist and specializes in graphic design and creative communication. He extends his skills to various media—from freehand illustration to photography, and space design.
Daryl believes that the power of creative visual communication can touch lives and transform world views.
Brando Cedeño’s concrete and stonecast resin sculptures
Brando Cedeño is a sculptor who is mainly captivated by wildlife. He expresses power and elegance in his works; he also explores emotions and anatomy in his human sculptures—emphasizing muscle, energy, and movement. His many works—big and small–have been on displays in various exhibits since 1995. He’s a Ford Academy of the Arts graduate.
Bong Perez, another Ford Academy of the Arts graduate and a doctor of fine arts (whose credentials include scholarships in Japan), is an artist and an art educator. He prides in painting common people and ordinary lives, seeing beauty in the details of these.
Dinky Munda, at 71, remains vigorous and creative. His travels in the USA, Asia, and Europe remain to inspire him to create art and share it to others. He studied philosophy, humanities, and financial management here and abroad, keeping him well-learned and humble in his field. He’s also had hands on managing businesses.
Tabula Rasa showed in their exhibit that art has power–to change the way we see things–in numbers.
(Want to learn how to make art like the men in Tabula Rasa? Sign up for the group’s free summer art workshops on April 24-26. Workshops on sculpture making, various drawing techniques for portrait, landscape, and still life will be led by the artists themselves. Registration is ongoing in the exhibit area.)
