Swedish artist uses gift to make Filipinos smile
SWEDISH visual artist and violinist Jeanette Kamphuis came to the Philippines nine years ago to visit her elder brother Stefan. Little did she know then that this would lead her to make the country her new home.
After traveling to 96 countries, Jeanette realized that her heart truly belongs to the Philippines. She has fallen so in love with Filipinos’ warmth and friendliness that she has not come back to her former home in Florida nor in Helsingborg in southern Sweden, where she was born.
“The Philippines has reinforced my smiles,” Jeannete tells The Manila Times.
“The [resilience] and ability of Filipinos to smile despite adversity have made me decide to make this country my home,” she adds. “Children freely wander around and have enough smiles for everyone, including for myself.”
Inspiration for art, music
Hailing from a country where the sun sets early, Jeanette discovered that Filipinos’ smiles are enough to inspire her art and music. This is not surprising, as she was born to a family of artists and musicians. At home, this youngest of three children was exposed to colorful skies, landscapes and seascapes. Her experiences with the people she encounters have fueled her creativity and imagination.
Public recognition of Jeanette’s talent came when won her first art competition at age 8. Two years later, she dabbled in oil. And at 15, she received art scholarships after her teachers saw her potential.
As Jeanette pursued her art education extensively in Germany, France, Italy, South Africa and the United States, she decided to finish business economics at Filbornaskolan in Helsingborg, as she also helped manage her family’s printing business. She draws much inspiration from the Skagen painters of Denmark, Peder Severin Kr yer and Michael Ancher, known for their realism and impressionism. In the Philippines, she looks up to Romulo Olazo, BenCab, Federico Alcuaz and Fernando Amorsolo.
As an artist, Jeanette has participated in 51 group exhibitions and mounted nine solo ones here and overseas.
As a violinist, Jeanette studied under the tutelage of Czech professor Zdenek Gola from age 7 to 20. She worked as a music teacher in Sweden, the US and the Philippines. As if these are not enough, she is also into pottery, ceramics and sculpture. She also starred in television and movies, as well as in commercials.
Focus on sustainability
In every artistic endeavor, Jeanette advocates for sustainability.
“We need to take care of our beautiful planet so that our children can continue to play and to enjoy nature,” Jeanette says, as her works also reflect her love for nature. She paints a lot of plants, trees and water. A crowd favorite at one exhibition at the height of the coronavirus pandemic was her series of jellyfish paintings, which exemplifies belongingness and kinship.
“I urge all who connect with me and my art to take care of the earth, to treasure it, to learn all that we can about it,” she adds. “Our bodies are microcosms of this planet and we owe to our earth to nurture and to respect our planet.”
As proof of her commitment to sustainability, Jeanette has already adopted recycling and upcycling as a way of life. She was even named “Ambassador Queen of the Environment” by “Respect: Noble Queen of the Universe Ltd. Inc.” for championing the cause.
Besides being an artist and advocate, Jeanette is also
‘Strong ability to connect’
“I have the strong ability to ‘connect’ and communicate with people of various nationalities. In the Philippines, everything is easier as Filipinos are among the friendliest people on earth. Promoting sustainability through my art and music in the country has therefore become natural,” Jeanette says. “Filipinos have a high sense of appreciation in my violin performances,” she adds. “I appreciate them back with my music and my craft.”
Jeanette has played professionally in various orchestras over the years. In the Philippines, she has played for the cultural events of the Embassy of Sweden, Nordic Chamber of Commerce and the European Union Delegation.
But what she prizes most are the free violin sessions she gives for disadvantaged children and women. “It is priceless when you see the smiles of children after I play music for them,” Jeanette says. “When I go to schools, orphanages [and] homes for battered women, I bring my violin as a violin gives them relief and is most appreciated.
“When I do exhibitions, I donate part of my sales to organizations supporting the disadvantaged,” she adds.
“Art and music are like oxygen to me. I just need to keep on painting and playing my violin,” Jeanette says. “When I need to solve a problem, I paint. When I like [to have some] quiet time, I paint. If am not able to paint, then I sketch, and in between I play the violin.”
Since relocating to the Philippines, Jeanette has adopted the Filipino culture of sharing food and allowing her Filipino friends to partake of her meals. She enjoys eating adobo, Bicol express and laing with sticky rice. She can now cook chicken tinola like a pro.
“I enjoy my life here in the Philippines and I would now like to give back the smiles I receive from Filipinos through my art and music,” she says.