Unfortunately, hectic October couldn't allow even just one of the two to happen.
But when I least expected it, I ran into an art exhibit last October 15, Saturday.
That day, I was covering Day 1 of the Asia Pacific leg of Travel Blog Exchange, which was hosted by the Philippines for the first time. The event was held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.
After the official business, I walked toward Roxas Boulevard and passed by the nearby Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). Along the ground driveway, there were tarpaulins of ongoing shows and programs.
And there it was, the poster of "Mars Ravelo Reinterpreted," an exhibit marking the Filipino comic artist's birth centennary. It was staged by the CCP with the support of the Ravelo family.
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| The participating artists |
The exhibit is no different as it also aims to "present the continuing legacy and influence of his work in Philippine culture and society." But at the same time, it is different for it showcases the creativity of Filipino artists who were tapped to "move from and into different styles and mediums, applying 'komiks' sensibilities without losing their distinct personalities." (CCP)
And I was ecstatic to see familiar names in the list of participating artists. Leeroy New and Dex Fernandez are two contemporary Filipino artists that I had been following through social media for more than years now. The works of Kris Abrigo I also recently encountered.
I was curious to see how they, and the others, would, pay tribute to someone as iconic and legendary as Mars Ravelo.
Upon entering the CCP's Main Gallery, I was first greeted by a collection of memorabilia documenting the career of Ravelo. It was a prelude of sort.
There was a timeline detailing his early days, as well as his latest works. His family also lent personal items like a script of Captain Barbell, and a vintage typewriter--both probably utilized by Ravelo himself.
Also aplenty were first-ever printed editions of Ravelo's different comics. I bet this would delight comic collectors and lovers if they ever visited the exhibit.
After the brief familiariazation and history lesson, it was time to see the actual artworks which included paintings, murals, mixed media and installations.
An early favorite of mine was "D for Divinity" (2016) by Ernest Concepcion. Made of oil and enamel on gypsum canvas, it is a reimagining of Darna--humanized but divine. The iconic Pinay superhero had her arms raised as if she was on a campaign trail. Her nemesis surrounding her but not quite succeeding in defeating her. Look closely and you see her soul escaping her. Why, I wondered?
Another popular female protagonist of Ravelo is Dyesebel, whom generations of Pinays once dreamed of becoming. In the exhibit, the mermaid came to life in a brass sculpture on a stainless steel base by Jonas Roces. The 2016 work of art seemed to leap out of the depths of the ocean, her figure--body, hair, tail and face, detailed subtlety but beautifully.
A different interpretation of Dyesebel is painted by R.M de Leon. His 2009 acrylic on paper showed the mermaid splattered on the ground and surrounded by flies and insects! "Malansa na?" I couldn't help but ask this time around, proving that art raises discourse.
And then there were the abovementioned contemporary artists who had made names for themselves in local and global scales.
Fernandez, the man behind Garapata, lent his signature art that had already became a brand coveted in other parts of Asia like Japan and Korea.
The Garapata was incorporated into Ravelo's 1940s character, Ipe. First printed in Buhay Pilipino, Ipe told the lives of two servants, the elder Ipe and younger Engot who serves as the annoying sidekick of the former.
Fernandez's mural, which was popping with colors, was titled "Ipe, Engot at si Garapata."
And then there was New, famous for his out-of-this-world installation art. He had exhibited in different parts of the Philippines and the world.
In Mars Ravelo Reinterpreted, he chose an early comics, "Flash Bomba" that chronicled tragedy of Roldan who got crippled by polio. However, he regained his legs and more through a deal with the Tiklabang. Thus, Flash Bomba was born.
New's "Still Life with Two Flash Bombas" include two life-sized Flash Bombas made with multiple colorful, tiny and plastic baby toys. At their foot, four skulls made of the same material were scattered--which for me overshadowed the Flash Bombas.
The younger Abrigo was also chosen for the exhibit. I had known of this promising muralist back in my days at The Manila Times after my former lifestyle section colleague wrote a feature on him.
Abrigo made two artworks, one acrylic on canvas, the other acrylic on wood, both of which are about Gog, a lesser known work of Ravelo, about monsters and brains. But despite the morbidity of the story, Abrigo's reinterpretation breathed of youthfulness and vibrancy, with colorful geometric and typography.
Another personal favorite was the masterpiece of Jericho Vamenta called "Kwentong Labada ni Gorio at Tekla" (acrylic, oil pastel, and oil paint on canvas, 2016). As the titled suggested, it was about Ravelo's "Gorio and Tekla," first serialized in the 1950s.
The painting was a picture perfect depiction of the Filipino society's mister and misis, bickering because misis in a tapis had tons of laundry while mister on briefs had a cockfight to attend to. The way I saw it, Tekla was the typical nagging wife while Gorio was the hopeless under the saya.
A unique piece was Mariano Ching's "Untitled" for the unique Ravelo character, Facifica Falayfay, the gay persona of Pacifico who hailed from a macho family. The acrylic and pyrogpraph on wood portrayed how Facifica's heart was colored differently.
Also part of the exhibit is a flat latex mural by Ang Gerilya painted at the wall just across the main gallery. Called "Tagapagligtas," it aptly honored the heroic deeds of iconic superhero, Captain Barbell.
Ravelo's direct, living descendants namely his daughter Rita and son Rex also contributed to the exhibit by showcasing their works that are heavily influenced by their father.
Rita Ravelo-dela Cruz, the fourth daughter, for example had framed drafts of her comic strip "Kikay Okay," which came out at "Art Manila Quarterly," a publication by The Manila Times in the 2000s. Kikay Okay is the extension of Rita, a mischievous girl character by his father. Kikay is the daughter of Rita.
The CCP writes, "Ravelo-dela Cruz's style is an epitome of Mars' original illustrations, the revival of Pinoy komiks essence and her father's drawing style . . The Kikay Okay series is a reflection of a love and admiration of her father's legacy."
Meanwhile, her brother Rex exhibited "Tinapa Literature," a drawing of his father's works repurposed as pambalot (wrapper) for tinapa (smoked fish)--reminiscing the golden era of komiks when it became a huge part of the Filipinos' everyday life.
And while there may be a steady production of local comics today but Mars Ravelo Reinterpreted makes one hope for the full resurgence of komiks in the Filipino culture.
Also aplenty were first-ever printed editions of Ravelo's different comics. I bet this would delight comic collectors and lovers if they ever visited the exhibit.
After the brief familiariazation and history lesson, it was time to see the actual artworks which included paintings, murals, mixed media and installations.
An early favorite of mine was "D for Divinity" (2016) by Ernest Concepcion. Made of oil and enamel on gypsum canvas, it is a reimagining of Darna--humanized but divine. The iconic Pinay superhero had her arms raised as if she was on a campaign trail. Her nemesis surrounding her but not quite succeeding in defeating her. Look closely and you see her soul escaping her. Why, I wondered?
 |
| 'D for Divinity' |
Another popular female protagonist of Ravelo is Dyesebel, whom generations of Pinays once dreamed of becoming. In the exhibit, the mermaid came to life in a brass sculpture on a stainless steel base by Jonas Roces. The 2016 work of art seemed to leap out of the depths of the ocean, her figure--body, hair, tail and face, detailed subtlety but beautifully.
 |
| Sculpted Dysebel in brass |
A different interpretation of Dyesebel is painted by R.M de Leon. His 2009 acrylic on paper showed the mermaid splattered on the ground and surrounded by flies and insects! "Malansa na?" I couldn't help but ask this time around, proving that art raises discourse.
 |
| Dysebel painted on canvas |
And then there were the abovementioned contemporary artists who had made names for themselves in local and global scales.
Fernandez, the man behind Garapata, lent his signature art that had already became a brand coveted in other parts of Asia like Japan and Korea.
 |
| A portion of the mural "Ipe, Engot at si Garapata" |
The Garapata was incorporated into Ravelo's 1940s character, Ipe. First printed in Buhay Pilipino, Ipe told the lives of two servants, the elder Ipe and younger Engot who serves as the annoying sidekick of the former.
Fernandez's mural, which was popping with colors, was titled "Ipe, Engot at si Garapata."
And then there was New, famous for his out-of-this-world installation art. He had exhibited in different parts of the Philippines and the world.
In Mars Ravelo Reinterpreted, he chose an early comics, "Flash Bomba" that chronicled tragedy of Roldan who got crippled by polio. However, he regained his legs and more through a deal with the Tiklabang. Thus, Flash Bomba was born.
 |
| Flash Bombas with skulls |
New's "Still Life with Two Flash Bombas" include two life-sized Flash Bombas made with multiple colorful, tiny and plastic baby toys. At their foot, four skulls made of the same material were scattered--which for me overshadowed the Flash Bombas.
The younger Abrigo was also chosen for the exhibit. I had known of this promising muralist back in my days at The Manila Times after my former lifestyle section colleague wrote a feature on him.
 |
| Abrigo's 'History of Halimaw' |
Abrigo made two artworks, one acrylic on canvas, the other acrylic on wood, both of which are about Gog, a lesser known work of Ravelo, about monsters and brains. But despite the morbidity of the story, Abrigo's reinterpretation breathed of youthfulness and vibrancy, with colorful geometric and typography.
Another personal favorite was the masterpiece of Jericho Vamenta called "Kwentong Labada ni Gorio at Tekla" (acrylic, oil pastel, and oil paint on canvas, 2016). As the titled suggested, it was about Ravelo's "Gorio and Tekla," first serialized in the 1950s.
 |
| A personal favorite by Jericho Vamenta |
The painting was a picture perfect depiction of the Filipino society's mister and misis, bickering because misis in a tapis had tons of laundry while mister on briefs had a cockfight to attend to. The way I saw it, Tekla was the typical nagging wife while Gorio was the hopeless under the saya.
A unique piece was Mariano Ching's "Untitled" for the unique Ravelo character, Facifica Falayfay, the gay persona of Pacifico who hailed from a macho family. The acrylic and pyrogpraph on wood portrayed how Facifica's heart was colored differently.
 |
| Mariano Ching's uses pyrography on this piece |
Also part of the exhibit is a flat latex mural by Ang Gerilya painted at the wall just across the main gallery. Called "Tagapagligtas," it aptly honored the heroic deeds of iconic superhero, Captain Barbell.
 |
| A Captain Barbell mural at the walls of CCP |
Ravelo's direct, living descendants namely his daughter Rita and son Rex also contributed to the exhibit by showcasing their works that are heavily influenced by their father.
Rita Ravelo-dela Cruz, the fourth daughter, for example had framed drafts of her comic strip "Kikay Okay," which came out at "Art Manila Quarterly," a publication by The Manila Times in the 2000s. Kikay Okay is the extension of Rita, a mischievous girl character by his father. Kikay is the daughter of Rita.
 |
| The funny antics of Kikay Okay |
The CCP writes, "Ravelo-dela Cruz's style is an epitome of Mars' original illustrations, the revival of Pinoy komiks essence and her father's drawing style . . The Kikay Okay series is a reflection of a love and admiration of her father's legacy."
Meanwhile, her brother Rex exhibited "Tinapa Literature," a drawing of his father's works repurposed as pambalot (wrapper) for tinapa (smoked fish)--reminiscing the golden era of komiks when it became a huge part of the Filipinos' everyday life.
And while there may be a steady production of local comics today but Mars Ravelo Reinterpreted makes one hope for the full resurgence of komiks in the Filipino culture.
 |
| Comics is for all ages |
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| Self-portrait at the "Bondying" installation |
