Southwestern views
Samboan is a small seaside town almost at the southwestern tip of Cebu with
a lot of natural attractions: not one but five falls (Aguinid Waterfalls, Bonbon Hidden Falls, Balay’g Sawa Falls, Da-o Falls and Tabon Falls); a hidden lake called Ponong; plus a mountain, Mt. Bartolina, at the peak of which, if one dares to climb up, one can see both sides of Cebu. These are Tanon Strait to the west and Bohol strait to the east and so from there one can see Negros, Bohol and Siquijor.
Being a seaside town, it has great views of the sea at sunset and sunrise. It is a place that feeds the artistic soul so it is no wonder that it has produced several home grown artists whose works are now on exhibit at Ayala Center Cebu.
The exhibit is called “Samboan Impressions” and the artists are Julieto Angana, Mithuzael Carredo, Reynan Dingal, Jess Dinglasa, John Dinglasa, John Louie Dinglasa, JR Dinglasa, Roel Fisalbon and Alfredo Fuentes with guest artists Luther Galicano and Jose “Kimsoy” Yap Jr.
In an interview with John Dinglasa, he expressed his gratitude to Cebu’s senior artists Benjie Goyha, who also hails from Samboan, and Celso Pepito, Kimsoy Yap and Luther Galicano for encouraging them to pursue their craft. All in all, there are about 80 art works in the exhibit, 25 of them by John Dinglasa. There are 10 pieces of beautiful abstract sculpture in wood (molave, nangka, among other woods) by Methuzael Carredo.
The art on exhibit celebrates Samboan. The artists have captured, mostly in acrylic on canvas, the many moods of her seas, the rural life in her farms, her few landmark monuments. There are a few non-Samboan themes, like Reynan Dingal’s pen and ink works, including his triptych of the “Last Supper.” The works are mostly traditional, realistic in rendition, but there are also a few modern ones like the one by Julieto Angana and a few impressionist works from John Dinglasa.
A surprise in the exhibit are the abstract works of John Louie Dinglasa, only five years old, who loves to dabble with the paints of his father John. He has a lovely, lively sense of color, of movement and harmony. Asked what inspires him to paint, John Louie refuses to answer, preferring to play with his toy car and the coins in his pocket. If this little boy continues to nurture his love for color and shapes and paints, he will be an artist to watch when he matures.
The exhibit, ongoing until Sept. 1, is on the second floor of the Ayala expansion wing.