Passionate about art
‘Appassionata’ with four women
Imelda Cajime Endaya, Lenore RS Lim, Susan Fetalvero Roces and Marivic Rufino share the same passion for painting and their current group exhibit, “Appassionata,” at the Leon Gallery was not only a reunion but also a loving tribute to one of their original members, Rosario Bitanga, who recently passed away.
All of these talented women have been dabbling in various art forms since the early 1970s. Roces started by hand painting barongs and sarongs, transitioning to hand-painted tapestries with nature as her inspiration.
“When I paint, I am in the zone, focused, peaceful and challenged when I encounter snags,” Roces said.
Endaya enthused: “I have mixed feelings of being challenged when material and medium resist; and deep joy as new form emerges. Sensing textures and the color of my surroundings, and social-historical happenings of my time.”
Rufino explained, “I meditate when I paint. It’s like being in a trance. I have synesthesia-heightened senses. I smell and hear the colors, taste and feel the breeze, the sun, the sky. Whatever stress and angst I had disappears in the higher, spiritual dimension. I am surprised by what emerges in my watercolors, the most difficult medium. It is catharic and I feel joy and serenity.”
US-based Lim, a veteran artist for over 57 years, focused on printmaking when she moved to New York. Her works can be found in the US and other countries, including various Philippine museums with the latest being at the National Museum until March 2025.
“My brushstrokes feel like a celebration of life and color. Every layer of paint sets my imagination free and an adventure into the unknown,” she declared.
***
‘Ipso Facto’ with Joy Mendoza Rojas
Alawyer by profession, Joy Rojas wears many hats, but a couple of his favorite pursuits are not only art collecting but also being an artist with eight solo exhibitions under his belt. He once again proved his mettle with “Ipso Facto,” a diverse collection featuring wire sculptures, multimedia artworks, and colored resin mother-and-child statues that were hand-molded and chiseled at ArtistSpace. The sold-out show left prospective collectors requesting to be on the waiting list.
During his successful show, I felt the Taurean creativity in me being unleashed. Conversing with Joy about his works, he fondly gave credit to his wife Trisha Bunye Rojas as his inspiration, together with their corgi, TJ.
“My imagination is the start of my abstract works. As a member of the Saturday Group of Artists, I draw my strength in creating my artworks from my colleagues, especially during our Saturday sketching sessions,” Rojas said.
