Reflections: Witnessing the Goodness of Christ in Art

CEBU, Philippines - The invitation for the press conference came serendipitously. It was not for me, but with the invited people unable to go, the assignment landed on my desk. I was hesitant at first thinking of the distance of the venue from the city, but in the end, I was happy to have decided to go.

Janice Minor, an icon in Cebu’s furniture industry, was considerate enough to lend her home and time to a group of artists who has dedicated their craft to the one whom they credit all their talent to, and their life – Jesus Christ.

The group is called Binhi and this year they collaborated with movers in the design industry to come up with an interactive exhibit aimed at witnessing the Good News to the Cebuanos.

The exhibit is aptly called Reflections and as Lyndon Angan, the media relations officer of the group, explained how they decided on the title, he quoted a passage from the Bible, Proverbs 27:19, which states: “As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.” He said that this verse summarizes the aim of the project, which is to reveal what is inside the heart of each of the artists involved.

“We want our works to reflect what we have inside us. We want the glory of God to be reflected in our works,” added Lyn Deutsch, one of the organizers of Binhi. “As an artist, you have to have a message to convey to the viewer.”

Fashion designer Myrna Jardin Cebrecus reiterated, “The goal is to emphasis that art comes from the Lord.”

The collaboration of the artists from different disciplines resulted in an extraordinary display that gives viewers a special experience, feeling the artists love for the Lord and his creations.

A very noticeable display is Cebrecus’ black gown back dropped by a chaotic installation of junk art. And as Minor promised, the combination is simply beautiful.

Minor, who has several furniture pieces on display, said that this installation symbolically shows that despite the chaos in the world we can still be beautiful if we have Christ in our hearts.

Minor’s works on display includes beautiful orb light fixtures made of glass, which gives out subdued lighting. And her exquisite steelwork furniture complemented each of the artworks on display. There were also pieces made of other materials like driftwood, which made for an excellent counter that neutralized the graphic work of Warlen Rodriguez, depicting Christ’s crucifixion.

An artist that I would like to highlight is Arlene Villaver, not because she sketched me after the press conference at Minor’s residence, but because of her socially relevant works on display.

Her fondness for children can be seen in her works, as most major pieces on display carried as its subject children in its many happy faces amidst their desperate situation. One such work is “A Rugby Boy-A Death Sentence.”

The first time I saw this piece was at an Abellana exhibit in Casa Gorordo last month. And as the piece pierced my heart then, so much more did it invoke a feeling of sadness with the installation that she did in this exhibit.

“A Rugby Boy-A Death Sentence” tells the story of a desperate boy that has been left to fend on his own in the streets. To appease his hunger, he resorts to the cheapest and easiest way that he knew how, sniffing rubber cement or rugby. The innocence on the eyes of the boy, shouts for people to take action, to help lift them from their sad state. I would say that in this exhibit, this is the piece that sends the strongest and most urgent message. 

There were also works that praise the beauty of God’s creation like Fred Galan’s watercolor pieces, and his wife, Marivel’s exquisite flower paintings.

Lyn Deutsch’s exciting woman figures and creative use of different and innovative media is also worth contemplating.

Interior designer Elaine Cooper was instrumental in making the exhibit work.

As the artists’ styles vary and the subjects do not exactly complement each other, to orchestrate a beautiful display would need a master artist, or His instrument, at that. This was the role of Cooper: To find a way to effectively deliver the Message through an arrangement that would place the art pieces, furniture, and décors in a manner that would give the viewers a chance to experience the paintings the way it should be experienced.

Deutsch’s exotic works, Villaver’s social commentary on the state of the Filipino children, Marivel Galan’s beautiful flowers, Fred Galan’s watercolor works on man and nature, Rodriguez’s religious iconography, Edgar Carabio and Marvin Natural’s depiction of rural Filipino life, Betche Alterado’s cubist approach in depicting God’s creation (including her beautiful wire sculpture of fishes dubbed “Through Thick and Thin”), all in the all, the message is clear. Despite the different styles that converged in this exhibit, one could feel the harmony of each piece. There were no clashing of styles, and no overpowering of one artist from the other.

Indeed, as Cebrecus would put it: “We are trying to impart that whatever you do, you have to acknowledge Him.”

In this exhibit, He took centerstage, as one could not help but feel how God and his creation became an inspiration for these artists.

To have one of these works displayed in one’s home would not only be a reminder of His goodness, but also a reminder of how we should strive to be His instrument in everything that we do.