I saw FPJ at the Pinto Art Gallery

MANILA, Philippines - The face looked very familiar. Sure enough, when I got closer I realized that it was, indeed, FPJ Da King (above), so alive with an enigmatic smile in one of the paintings on exhibit at Dr. Joven Cuanang’s Pinto Art Gallery in Antipolo City, Rizal. It’s Dr. Joven and the officers of the Silangan Foundation for the Arts, Culture & Ecology who are behind the exhibit.

It’s titled Sabotage (we all know why, don’t we?), done by Redentor Castillo, one of the nine Ilocano artists in the Segunda-Buena Mano exhibit which opened last Sunday and ends on March 2. I’m sure that FPJ portrait will bring back fond memories to his widow Susan Roces if ever she has time to visit the gallery. (Tag price: P33,000.)

Unfortunately, Redentor broke an arm in an accident so he wasn’t able to join the eight other Ilocano artists of the so-called Grupo Biag during the opening (top, from left): Jeminic Real, Pablo Constante Zingapan, Brave Mabalo Singh, Jay Harold Hidalgo, Richard Cartie Quebral, Rionell Victor Rivera, Aubrey dela Cruz Terry and Jericho Vamenta.

Here are three more of the works on display: 

•  Top, right: The Nanay Series by Brave, with his lola as model;
• Above: A portrait (from the archives in Ilocos Sur) of a lady from the Ilocano tribe Bag-O by Aubrey; and
• Left: Lagusan by Jay (a registered nurse), done in strings.

(Note: The Pinto Art Gallery is located at The Silangan Gardens, #1 Sierra Madre Street, Grandheights, Antipolo City, Rizal. For inquiries, call 697-1015, look for Essy.)