CEBU, Philippines - As one of Cebu's more prominent, versatile and active visual artists, Bernardo "Ber" Hermoso stays true to the core of visual arts - capturing what is beautiful in a static yet temporal tableau.
Recently bagging the Grand Prize in the 1st PAGCOR National Arts Competition held this year, Hermoso's long running artistic career is defined by a growing body of works, each pulsating with life in the execution of painting and drawing techniques and principles.
Born in Danao as the 5th of 9 siblings in 1952, Hermoso's torrid affair with the arts began in installments - in small doses, so to speak - initially inspired by the Komiks illustrations of Nestor Redondo and the top Komiks illustrators of the time, to be further nurtured by Danao-based educator Ernido Lavador, who was keen on Hermoso's artistic potential since his high school days.
With no working knowledge on the principles of color tones and crafting structure in figures utilizing the principles of shades and hues, Hermoso's inherent gift for art motivated Lavador into guiding him through the ins and outs of the field, with the eager-to-learn Hermoso still fresh from high school at the time.
Later introduced to and inspired by the works of Martino "Tinong" Abellana, the "Dean of Cebuano Painters", and further motivated by the style of National Artist Carlos "Botong" Francisco, Hermoso got to learn about the unlimited bounds in the visual arts arena, but remained conscious of the base norms of technique, balance and composition, which remains to be a definitive Hermoso-standard that is evident in all his of his works.
"As a visual artist, I paint or draw what I see as beautiful," shares Hermoso when asked about his approach in coming up with masterworks.
"It's that simple. Whatever the medium, oil, acrylic, pastel, charcoal or watercolor, I do what I can to capture a scene, a mood, an emotion or a situation, inspired and motivated by the beauty that is in front of me."
Famed for his exceptional landscapes, Romantic sceneries, still life compositions and portraits, as well as renowned for mastering the handling of a diverse range of artistic mediums, Hermoso has also gained attention for his "curvisim" technique, one which is defined by the fragmentation of visual elements into curves in completing a subject or composition.
Having participated in numerous group exhibits here and overseas, as well as having his share of successfully-run one man exhibitions, numerous awards and honors have also been awarded to Hermoso, who won his first First Prize in the visual arts field in 1976, with the Grand Prize in this year's PAGCOR National Arts Competition being the most recent.
Versatile and non-restricted when it comes to the use of artistic mediums, the now-Sibonga based Hermoso continues to capture beauty in all is shapes and forms, showing no signs of waning in his zeal for the arts, standing out as a Cebuano artist whom Cebuanos can be proud of, through and through.
For more samples of Ber Hermoso's art and contact details, drop by http://ber.hermoso-art.com (FREEMAN)