The Journey to 50: A Visual Arts Spectacle

By Jun Jay G. Jimenez

Philippine art shines brighter as young Filipino artists’ sensitivity to the world around them grows deeper.

Even at 44, the luster of celebrating the artistry of budding Filipino artists never fades. As the world’s complexities evolve, so do the awareness and understanding of the country’s new breed of artists on the realities around them become more sophisticated.  Their artworks mirror the maturity of their ideas and the sensitivity of their soul. A slice of their life experience is revealed in the masterpieces they create.

In support of the continuing development of Filipino youth artists, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation (Pilipinas Shell) stages the annual Shell National Students Art Competition (NSAC), a long-running tradition in the local art industry to showcase the best of Philippine visual arts in the oil and acrylic, watercolour, digital and sculpture media.

This year’s competition gathered over 1,400 masterful expressions of brilliant creativity and talent by students across the country. What started as a simple advocacy for the development of Filipino art students in 1951 unceasingly produces a treasure of young and brilliant Filipino artists to this day, whose masterpieces manifest the rich cultural identity of our nation.

Captured in colours and shapes

They all have a story to tell. The details of their stories are perfectly captured in their masterpieces. Whether it may be masterful strokes on the canvass or intricate contours of a sculpture, all are tangible representations of their experiences in life. 

First place winner in the Oil and Acrylic category Dale M. Erispe of the Technological University of the Philippines drew his inspiration for his entry “Thorns and Pigments” from the life story of his mother. Coming from an all-male brood of six,

Dale recognises the great sacrifices of his mother in taking care of them. “My painting symbolises the joys and struggles of women in their lives. The different colours in my painting represent the different experiences of women, while the thorns stand for their struggles,” explains Dave about his tribute to women and motherhood.

Always in search for channels to polish his creativity, Dale has been participating in competitions ever since he entered college. During the past years, he has been a finalist of the Shell NSAC. But this year, Dale bagged back-to-back grand prize in the Shell art competition and from another prestigious art contest. 

“I did not expect to win the grand prize.  I was just happy to be part of the competition,” shares Dale. “Winning gives me confidence to produce more artworks.  It motivates me to strive to be the best. I know that there will be challenges, but I am prepared to overcome them.” 

Now on his 3rd year studying Fine Arts, Dale reveals that he will continue to join the Shell art competition and is eyeing the watercolour category for next year. He looks up to Ventura and Paras as his idols in the Philippine art arena. He pointed out that the quality of art of his idols gets better and better with time, and he believes the same for his artistry.

Dale shared that a part of his prize money is for his parents, and the rest goes to art supplies for school and to pay off some debts.  He gives this advice to budding artists: “Practice makes perfect. There are no shortcuts in honing your craft. Put all your resources and time to perfect your art, and always strive to be the best.  Get inspiration from what is happening around you and always remain positive in life.”

It may be his first time to join the Shell art competition, but Paul Christopher O. Adriano of the Far Eastern Air Transport Inc (FEATI) University has a lot of thoughts to share about winning first place in the watercolour category.  “It took me some time to join the competition because I wanted to observe first,” says Paul, who is a graduating student. “I want all those who will see my painting to be inspired to do good for themselves and for his country.”

His awareness of the state of our country filled him with ideas for his entry “Dangal”.  Through his painting, Paul wants to inspire Filipinos to work together towards national progress. “We have to be proud of being Filipino. It is our duty to take care of what our heroes fought for.” 

Paul dedicates his winning masterpiece to his grandmother, who passed away recently.  “She has been helping me through college. My grandmother is gone now, but the prize that I got from the competition is what I will use to finish my studies.”

Fine Arts is not his field of study, but Jonathan R. Esguerra of the Rizal Technological University (RTU) has passion for the arts. A 2nd year Education student, Jonathan is thankful for the opportunity to express what he has in mind through his masterpiece entitled “Idiot Box”, made from polycarbonate which is being used for patching up roofs.

“I am not an art expert, but I want to impart something valuable to society using an art medium that I know.” His inspiration for his winning entry in the Sculpture category was his uncle scolding his children for exhibiting bad attitude. Jonathan shared that, without proper guidance, children nowadays can be easily influenced by what they see on television. 

Jonathan underscored the important role of media in instilling the right values to children. With easy access to television, the proliferation of shows that exhibit bad behaviour can be easily imitated by youngsters if they do not have proper parental guidance. He is advocating for television shows that can shape children to become better individuals.

“In my entry, I want people to see that the youth are the future of our nation. But how can they live promising lives if they are not on the right path?  As adults, it is our responsibility to look into the effects of what we create on the minds of children.”

Though Jonathan is aspiring to become a lawyer someday, he promises to remain as a true follower of fine arts. “I will encourage my nephews to explore their artistic talents and pursue what they really want in their lives.” 

He believes that art is a potent channel for imparting good values, and encourages aspiring artists to be aware of what is happening around them to create meaningful art. “One should look beyond the beauty of an artwork. It must reflect the state of our society, and must aim for how it can inspire the youth to do better to shape a promising future.”

Moved by her experience of heartbreak, Erlinda Katricia C. Inciong from the Adventist University of the Philippines brought her emotions to life through her entry “All or Nothing”, which bagged first prize in the Digital Arts category. Despite her failed romance, the young artist dedicates her triumph to the one who inspired her to produce her masterpiece. “With my prize, I will buy a camera, which is a requirement in my course. That way, I will be able to help lessen the expenses of my parents,” says Erlinda, who hopes to be a photo journalist someday.

With their masterpieces adorning the pages of the 2012 Shell companies in the Philippines corporate calendar, the winners in the Calendar category were ecstatic about the thought of having their winning artworks seen and appreciated by millions of people. With this year’s calendar theme “Alamat Noon Para Sa Ngayon”, the winners impressed the judges with their distinct interpretations of the country’s rich and colourful folk tales and legends that reflect time-honoured Filipino values.

With his entry “Reuniting Our Legends and Folklore for the New Generation”, Vincent F. Navarro of the University of the Philippines – Baguio depicts social relevance in his masterpiece. His inspiration came from one of his leisure walks along the famous Session Road in Baguio. “My artwork is a mix of different elements that I have seen in my everyday life.”  His life experience is a fountain of inspiration, with all of life’s challenges and triumphs.

Coming from humble beginnings, Vincent braved the trials of earning an education and is now a graduating student. “I want to be an environmental artist.  I want to go to Ifugao and teach children about the arts.  I can see their potential as artists and want to make a difference in their lives.” Vincent encourages fellow young artists to continue producing art pieces. “Do not be discouraged by stumbling blocks but just go on and create. Get inspiration from your experiences. Tell your story through your artwork.”

Jeminic Real of the University of Northern Philippines shared that his concept for his entry “Ang mga Mata ni Pina” is about the importance of cultivating positive values in children. “Adults are responsible for molding children to become better individuals.  It is through them that positive values are transmitted to the next generation.” He works as an artist to support himself through his studies. Currently participating in group exhibits, he also looks forward to the day when he will be able to successfully stage his own exhibit in key cities, perhaps after graduation.

“The Magical Book” by John Emmanuel R. Salazar of the Technological University of the Philippines reflects the artist’s colourful imagination. “The idea for my entry came when we had a power outage in our area. I saw my cousin studying by a gas lamp, and his face was glowing.” He dedicates his winning to his grandmother, who supports his studies. “My grandmother is my strength, and I am happy to share this special day with her.”

For his entry “Ilaw ng Tahanan”, Jhon Emerson S. Tejones of the Technological University of the Philippines shared that his mother gave him the inspiration to finish his masterpiece.  “She is the reason why I finished my artwork.  I admire her for being industrious and for being the source of my strength.”  With realism as his art style, Jhon aspires to be known as a realist with distortions when he pursues painting as a career after graduation.

Aspiring to be an animator, Roseller F. Huerto, Jr. of the Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST) depicts in his colourful entry entitled “Rehearsal” three children reading the Ibong Adarna while acting out the values in the folktale.  As an artist, he is fond of surrealism and looks up to renowned artist BenCab for his signature strokes. He shares that he will use his prize money to support himself while he looks for work after graduation.

Emil Aldrine B. Alarcon of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines impressed the judges with his entry “Diwata: Gabay ng Kalikasan”. With his tribal art style, Emil drew a mystifying figure of a fairy that takes care of the environment. His ethnic touch to his painting gave life to his idea of how the people must care for the environment, the same way the fairies do.

Celebrating the brilliance of Philippine art

Committed to nurturing the artistry of Filipino youth, Shell remains a steadfast supporter of youth development in the country through its various programmes like the Shell NSAC. In his message, Shell companies in the Philippines Country Chairman Edgar Chua thanked everyone who has been making each year of the competition noteworthy, proven by the thousands of entries sent by student artists from respected universities and institutions all over the country.

“This competition started in the 1950s and has been a springboard for artists. Although Shell is an energy company, this event is a manifestation of how we appreciate the arts.  To all the finalists, you are all winners.  I thank your parents and mentors for all their support.  Thank you for participating in this memorable event, and congratulations to all the winners,” said Chua.

Multi-awarded artist Renato Habulan, who is considered the icon of the social realist movement in the country, shared his experiences as a struggling artist in his youth, lavished the audience with his wealth of knowledge about the evolution of art in Asia and the Western world, and rallied the young artists to continue to explore opportunities to showcase their artistic brilliance in the global art world.

“Your passport to success is your youthfulness and freshness of ideas.  There is now a bigger platform to showcase your masterpieces. The art scene is bustling. I invite you to tell the world of the great stories of Filipino artists,” said Habulan.

The tradition of honouring the artistic brilliance of young Filipino artists keeps the commitment of Shell aflame in developing their creativity.  Now a landmark celebration in the local art arena, the Shell National Students Art Competition is a good companion to every aspiring Filipino student artist and is an optimum platform in showcasing the Filipino brand of creative excellence. SWP