Orlina and Olazo at SM City Batangas
Batangueños are known to be very religious and it is here that Catholic devotees perform rituals such as dances like the subli and chants like the luw/lua to express their faith. It is not surprising that religious art has thrived in the province, which is home to some of the best-preserved heritage churches in the country. Batangas is also known for sculptures engraved in furniture like altar tables, which — in colonial times — were comparable to the beautiful furniture from China.
Batangueños are also known for their close family ties and tend to live in a large extended family. This strong sense of family has given rise to the art groups in the province like the Grupo Sining Batangueño, Pintor Kulapol Tuy Batangas Artists Group, and KUNST Pilipino artists. Like extended family members, these artists have gathered together to promote the visual arts in the province.
Mallgoers had a rare opportunity to discover Batangas’ vibrant art scene when “My City, My SM, My Art” recently made a stop at SM City Batangas. The event showcased the works of master artists Ramon Orlina and the late Romulo Olazo, as well as a new generation of Batangueño artists whose artworks highlight religious and family themes in a modern way.
A joint project of SM, the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Shell Philippines, the
Philippine STAR, with support from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Centerstage Productions, “My City, My SM, My Art”is a celebration of Philippine visual arts — painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography and filmmaking.
The campaign brings art and people together by showcasing the works of masters, modernists and millennials in a road show around the SM Supermalls. Advocating art for all, the team works with communities to mount exhibits, workshops and contests in key cities around the Philippines.
Guests enjoyed the program, which included an AVP presentation hosted by Atty. RD Dimacuha featuring the master artists of Batangas and their amazing works. These works were exhibited in and around the My Art Gallery, which was inspired by the bahay
na bato in Luzon. These included watercolor master Anthony Palomo, multimedia artist Mischa who experiments with resin to create a highly original art form, and Zorrick Enriquez who depicts youth reverie in his artworks.
The exhibit also showcased the Batangueño’s strong sense of family, as well as their love for their culture. While father and son Lino and Emman Acasio come from different generations, they are passionate about three things: their art, their environmental advocacy and their love of family.
Jojo Villamar is known for his beautiful mother-and-child paintings, while Jorge Banawa showcases the cultural heritage of his hometown Taal through his works.
Taal, Batangas Mayor Fulgencio “Pong” Mercado, Atty. RD Dimacuha from the Office of the Mayor of Batangas City, and Batangas City board member Claudette Ambida attended the event; as did Batangas City Tourism officer Eduardo Borbon, LEIPC officer Erick Sanohan and Taal cultural attaché Dindo Montenegro. Project partners Metropolitan Museum of Manila president Tina Colayco and Philippine STAR account manager Grace Laurel were seen talking art, as SM officials led by SM senior vice president for marketing Millie Dizon and SM City Batangas mall manager Rosalinda Gabriel warmly welcomed them.
The Batangueño’s strong sense of family was evident during the event, as prominent families came together to celebrate the province’s master artists: the late Romulo Olazo was represented by his wife Patricia and son Jonathan; while the musically inclined Pastor family awed the audience with their musical artistry — Atty. Tony Pastor on the piano and brother Rafael with his operatic rendition of well-loved classics. Dr. Luis Pastor, another family member and art lover, also attended the event with wife Nanette.
Members of the cultural community like the KUNST Gallery and Grupo Sining Batangueño, as well as students of the Batangas Province High School for Culture and Arts also joined in the celebration of Batangueño artistry.
The highlight of the event was a tribute to Batangueño master artists Ramon Orlina and Romulo Olazo. While they have very different styles in abstraction — Orlina in sculpture and Olazo in painting — they both brought much pride to their home province with their amazing works.
Born in Manila and a native of Taal, Batangas, Orlina completed an architectural degree, practiced architecture, and then began his career in art — first in painting and then eventually in sculpture.
Under Orlina’s artistic sensitivity, glass is transformed into abstract emeralds. The artist successfully brings forth an unparalleled dynamism in his sculptures utilizing the sheen of glass and encouraging interesting variations of light and color with his inventions. His masterpieces place him in international appraisals of the art among the gurus Dale Chihuly of the United States and Bertil Vallien of Sweden.
The late Romulo Olazo, on the other hand, was born in the coastal town of Balayan in Batangas. Hailed as one of the country’s outstanding artists, Olazo represented the country in the 12th Biennial in Sao Paolo in 1973 and the 11th International Biennial of Prints in Tokyo in 1979; and his paintings have frequently appeared on auction at Christie’s, selling well over the reserve price.
Olazo, who devised a unique technique combining collography and serigraphy, with painting and mixed media, is best known for his abstract works in his painting series. In the “Diaphanous Series,” the artist carefully applied a glazing technique where he constructed layer upon layer of fine oil paint to build up a composition of depth and volume that maintains a fragile and ethereal appearance, intensified with translucent light. These visions of light have been likened to dragonfly wings, sheets of gossamer veil or gauze, or even a symphony.
With its aim of bringing art and people together, “My City, My SM, My Art” also conducted a coffee painting workshop by visual artist Zorrick Enriquez. Royette Ken Rodilla won the top prize, for which he received P5,000 worth of SM gift certificates.
“My City, My SM, My Art” is a takeoff from the previous “My City, My SM” campaign which promotes tourism; “My City, My SM, My Cuisine,” which highlights regional culinary specialties; and “My City, My SM, My Crafts,” a celebration of traditional art and modern Philippine design in cities where SM has malls. “My City, My SM, My Art”’s next stop will be in SM City Marilao.