Nilig-on kuno ang ekonomiya, apan lakip ang tawas nimahal

Who’d ever think that a piglet or poultry cage or a creaky hammock made of the lowly bamboo can be transformed into something beautiful — or should we say bamboo-tiful?

To see is to believe. See for yourself how something as ordinary — you probably have one in your garden or at home and not know it — as the bamboo can be used to create stunning works of art.

Now, why didn’t we think of that?

That’s the question you’ll probably keep asking yourself if you see the 14 amazing arrangements comprising “Kawayanihan,” bamboo artistry by the country’s noted floral architect Rachy Cuna, now showing, nay blooming, at the lobby of InterContinental Manila until June 17.

Himself blooming in a white eyelet long-sleeved shirt at the opening of his show, Rachy tells us, “People ask me, ‘How on earth did you think of that?’ And I tell them, ‘Don’t give me a chance to think.’ Any creative endeavor excites me. I want to inspire people by creating something they would not have thought of. I think it’s a gift from God and I want to share it with others. I’m proud to be a Filipino and I want to make use of our Filipino materials and design.”

Last year, Rachy inspired and excited us with 15 fabulous dried floral installations made of plum blossoms, nipa blossoms, dried twigs, and all sorts of native materials you can imagine — or never imagined could be put in a flower arrangement. To gather all these precious materials for his show, Rachy combed the forests and the mountains, and ransacked his friends’ backyards, garages, and basements.

“I begged my friends to give me all the trash that they have,” Rachy relates with a chuckle.

With all the found objects that Rachy could possibly have salvaged from the dustbin, he mounted a dazzling one-man show that had everyone “Rachified.”

“I always try to use everyday things that are functional, and give them a tweak here and there,” Rachy points out.

And now, the humble bamboo takes center stage in Rachy Cuna’s ongoing show at Manila Intercon.

“This time, I want it to be fun,” says Rachy with a sparkle in his eyes. “So, as you can see, I used bright colors — lush green, luscious orange, fire engine red, and hot pink.”

Some 80 percent of his materials are of bamboo, which he interspersed with palm, paper flowers, brown paper, newspaper, and dried grass. Speaking of grass, did you know that bamboo is not a tree but a woody or arborescent grass?

A hardy, versatile grass that requires little or no care, the bamboo thrives abundantly in the Philippines and other Asian countries. Resilient it is, too. Something that describes the Filipino spirit. It’s so much a part of us.

It’s also one grass that feng shui masters recommend to bring fortune and prosperity to one’s home. Cultivated under natural growing conditions, its chi/qi (energy) is said to be more powerful. It is said to create space where you feel safe and, yes, more energized.

Lucky bamboo? Yes, lucky you, if somebody gives you a “lucky bamboo” plant for whatever reason and whatever the season is.

For Rachy, ’tis the season for “Kawayanihan” — a fusion of the Filipino word for bamboo (kawayan) and teamwork (bayanihan). The exhibit aptly opened last week with the pageantry of a suite of bamboo dances from the southern island of Mindanao, performed by the world-acclaimed Bayanihan National Folk Dance Company, who recently brought home the overall World Prize from the 2007 World Folk Dance Competition held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Yes, they did a bamboo dance, crisscrossing clapping bamboo poles and dancing atop them while gracefully executing hand movements, twirling fans, and flashing swords to the pulsating beat of brass gongs.

And in tune with the bamboo theme, Intercon executive chef Patrick Fournes concocted a cocktail fare that included bamboo shoot spring rolls and native fruit tarts. Who says you can’t have your bamboo and eat it, too?

Indeed, enthralled guests had a visual and culinary bamboo feast. Manila Intercon general manager Christian Pirodon was all praises as he thanked Rachy Cuna and the Bayanihan for showcasing the beauty of Filipino art and culture.

To thank his guests, the ever generous Rachy gifted each one with a silver bamboo brooch and bamboo birds. Needless to say, everybody had a ball — and would have brought home one or two of Rachy’s bamboo balls. We were especially drawn to the clusters of varied-sized balls covered entirely with dried bamboo leaves. Now, who had the admirable patience to do all that?

And what’s that piglet cage doing in this show?  “I made sure I had a good hawla ng baboy or itlugan ng manok,” says Rachy. “I painted them and elevated them to an art form.”

He adds, “I sourced all these materials from my shopping trips to the palengke in Quiapo, Divisoria, etc. I asked my suppliers from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao to get me everything they could find. Renato Vidal did the bamboo balls. And my good friend Emy Cuenca did the metal and capiz vase for the flowers. I commissioned and borrowed from friends.”

You’ll love Rachy’s “Kairog”  (Sweetheart) that shows two polished bamboo poles leaning on each other with cock feathers, orange daisies made of wood shavings, and uprooted bamboo trunks in screaming orange.

Black and white drama unfolds in “Kapitapitagan”  (Respect),  where black bamboo baskets — which you’ve probably seen holding live poultry — are held aloft on bamboo poles and brightened up with white paper buds and roses.

For love of things Filipino, Rachy also supports new talent via his Rachy Cuna Cup, a floral competition for amateur and professional floral designers in the Philippines.

In his bamboo show, Rachy is also exhibiting his Zen-inspired paintings. Rachy has exhibited his paintings in Beijing. Yes, Rachy paints, and bakes the most delicious chocolate cupcakes, too. Surely, Rachy is having his cake and eating it, too — without guilt, that is.

So, what’s next for Rachy?

“Let me dream about it,” he says with a mischievous laugh.