Ugu Bigyan: Home is Where His Art Is

In the gardens of potter Ugu Bigyan’s Tiaong home, only positive vibrations envelope the premises. There are 15 open huts minimally decorated with narra tables and chairs, cloth hammocks, and wooden beds. The huts are punctuated with subtle colors from the pottery pieces made by Ugu. Lush with plants, flowers, and lovely footpaths in leaf and floral patterns, the huts look like one cohesive outdoor masterpiece. Everywhere you look, your eyes joyfully rest on a pleasing composition of nature and art. The beauty of Ugu’s home and the Balinese inspired garden is obvious. Yet the place murmurs a deeper energy whispered only to those who care to listen. It breathes serenity, tranquility, and peace emanating from the resident artist. To discerning souls who visit, it is evident that the simple potter quietly working in his tank top and shorts is a successful man. Borrowing the words of author Christopher Morley, "There is only one success, to be able to spend your life in your own way." Indeed Ugu has been spending his life in his own way.

Ugu has no office in Makati or fancy cars, but he seems truly happy. More than gaining material wealth, he has discovered what brings him joy. Born, raised, and educated in Quezon Province, Ugu has tried corporate life for all of nine days. During his brief stint in Makati working in his first job as a clerk in PCI bank, he learned many truths about himself. He became aware that corporate life was not suited to him, and he was not suited to the cosmopolitan life of Manila. He longed for his beloved Quezon. He quickly returned to Tiaong and experimented on different media like painting, sculpting, and drawing to find his true passion. In 1985 he started his life as a potter. Without any formal education in pottery, he started making clay bead necklaces for Chiqui Holman’s boutique in the then famous Quad. He then created abaca tapestry with his mother, attaching some small ceramic pieces as accents. Like a peddler selling his goods, Ugu packed a bagful of tapestry and ceramic pieces and left them in Filipiniana stores, Accents in Quad and Things in Greenbelt, with the hope that they would be bought. Later, he received a telegram for an order of six pieces of the abaca tapestry. He was so excited and overwhelmed by his first "big" order. This meant immediately buckling down to work with his mother as each piece took three days to produce. His talent enabled him to join Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) and export to the US and Europe. Along with his business partner Becky de los Reyes, he supplied Spiegel, Pier One, Gumps of San Francisco, and Panghea. He was surprised to win the Katha Award for product design in 1990 and 1991, besting many talented foreign educated Manila artisans. Ugu even wowed the discriminating foreign audience in trade shows in Paris and Frankfurt. Weary from the demands of exporting, he put an end to supplying international clients in 1995 to focus more on honing his artistry. This particular phase in his life proved to be productive, allowing him to mount a total of 17 solo exhibits and eight group shows in the Ayala Museum and prestigious galleries to date.

His desire to create and eye for beauty enabled him to branch out to landscaping using his unique floral and leaf-inspired tiles and ceramic fountains. Working with architects and engineers, he has been hired to create especially fabricated tiles and murals with an astonishing effect on finishing and floorings.

Who would have thought bathrooms can assume the feel of a paradise? The bathrooms in the house of Freddie Garcia, a senior executive of the ABS-CBN, in Alabang and the charming Hidden Valley cottages can attest to Ugu’s toilet paraisos. Since 1993, he has been supplying vases and ceramic pieces to the world class Amanpulo resort in Palawan, and in recent years to the exclusive El Nido and Punta Fuego beach resorts.

Ugu said he was proudest of his house among his creations. "It took me 10 years to build this. If you look at it now, it seems all the 15 huts were built at the same time. They were built one by one. Sometimes, when I look at them, I feel like I own a resort." Ugu’s house is not only a sight to behold, but it also represents all that he is and all that he stands for. Over a decade ago, he was inspired by the sight of people trooping to Jaime de Guzman’s place in Candelaria, Quezon. It was Ugu’s dream to have people come and visit his place. These days, women from Manila, artists from everywhere, and nuns and priests from as far as Mindanao flock to Ugu’s Tiaong home. Kind and generous, he has graciously opened his home to those who care to visit. Those interested in his craft can browse and purchase his artwork on display in his gallery. Those craving for an authentic provincial meal served in Ugu’s signature plates are welcome by appointment. He even opens his doors to a group of four students during the summer months.

It is in his home that he has found bliss creating pottery. Surrounded by his siblings, nephews and nieces and the remains of his late mother in his small chapel, home is where Ugu produces his finest works. Pottery is such a delicate and sensitive craft that it becomes impossible for Ugu to create when he is in a bad mood. He has no plans of leaving his Tiaong home. Even studying pottery techniques in Japan for three months was too long to be away from his beloved hometown. He even reveals that he cannot sleep in Manila even just for a night.

One of his dreams is to someday have an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York. In the meantime, Ugu finds joy and peace at home, where his art is.