Vicky Zubiri holds benefit exhibit at The Pen

MANILA, Philippines -  Amateur artist Vicky Zubiri holds her second solo benefit exhibit titled “Point of Perspective: Inspired Moments in Chinese and Western Watercolor,” which opens on Oct. 16 at the mezzanine of The Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City.

Part of the proceeds will go to the Rayomar Outreach Foundation.

Zubiri made her debut in the local art scene in 2009 when she mounted “Memories,” which was inspired by her many travels around the world. The sold-out show supported the charitable projects (in the communities of Malibay) of her alma mater Assumption.

In her second show, Zubiri found inspiration in practically everything. “I’m an artist,” she says. “I see beauty in everything.”

It’s not surprising since she was surrounded by art since her childhood years. “As a child, my mother used to bring me to Amorsolo while her portrait was being painted. Older, I also accompanied her to the homes and studios of Manansala, Alcuaz, Ocampo and many more as she was an avid art collector. “

“Point of Perspective” features several mini-series of themes that are almost like vignettes, each telling its own artistic story.

Paintings by Vicky Zubiri

“I started sketching in my younger years. In the ’70s I formed a group of ladies and studied with a lady named Virgie Diano. We started with sketching, then charcoal, pastel and eventually oil. We had our first group exhibit in the late ’70s at the Hyatt. My personal theme was birds in oil, flying against the rain or alone over the mountains. Painting is my way of expressing my feelings.”

Painting for Zubiri is also therapeutic. Surviving two brain surgeries and having to cope with constant pain due to some damaged nerves, her artwork has helped her focus her energies transforming the negative to positive. It is also a way for her to give back to society by contributing part of the proceeds to charitable causes. This year’s beneficiary, Rayomar Outreach Foundation, supports several youth and children’s organizations such as Reach Youth Ministry, House of Light Children’s Foundation and Gawad Kalinga’s Paradise Heights Education Project, helping them achieve their foundation mission.

Watercolor, both western and Chinese, is one of the most difficult mediums due to the restrained and precise techniques. In the late ’80s Zubiri discovered Chinese watercolor under master Hao Chiok. “It was a rather difficult medium and the fragility of rice paper and ink was quite a challenge. On top of it, you have to use continuous strokes. My first pieces were such an achievement for me,” she recalls.

Since 2008, Zubiri has been studying at the Ateneo Confucius Institute for Chinese Art with professors Alex Chan Lim and Caesar Cheng. She even went with Lim in 2009 at the University of Sun Yat Sen in Guangzhou with her classmates to showcase the first Filipino exhibit there and to learn with the local masters. Simultaneously she takes up western watercolor classes under professor Jonny Ventosa with her friends.