“Pagtitipon” — a Gathering is a five day art exhibition, from August 10 to 14, 2015, showcasing the collective body of original works by Filipino Canadian and Filipino American artists at the Roundhouse Community Centre.
The event was sponsored by The Filipino Music and Art Foundation in BC in co-operation with the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver and Global Pinoy Diaspora Canada.
PAGTITIPON, literally translated from Pilipino is “A Gathering” or the coming together of a group of ten talented Filipino-Canadian and Filipino-American artists such as Danvic Briones, Tessie Dichupa, Imelda Cajipe Endaya, Carlos Esguerra, Edgardo Lantin, Lenore R.S. Lim, Esmie Gayo McLaren, Bert Monterona, Jose Trinidad and Art Zamora.
Pagtitpon guests and attendees. Photo by Bert Morelos
The art exhibit was highlighted by a reception with the ribbon cutting ceremony and members of the consular core headed by Philippine Consul General Neil Ferrer and guest of honour Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila P. Garcia.
In recognizing the efforts of organizer Lenore R.S. Lim, Ambassador Garcia noted: “I believed that never have so many acclaimed Filipino Canadian and Filipino American artists been involved in a single exhibition here in Canada. Tonight, you have successfully assembled a group of talented artists known for their respective artistic styles, and whose works span decades of hard work and dedication to their craft. Thus, allow me to describe this art exhibition as a celebration of creative convergence of divergent artistic genre.”
“Some of us like to give different messages in our work and that’s very important in art. And to be able to share it with each other in Pagtitipon is one of the highlights of my art career, so far.”
– Esmie Gayo McLaren
Pagtitipon had a huge turnout at the ceremony highlighting the artists by the exhibit’s curator and Manila based contemporary visual artist Imelda Cajipe Enday. This proved that the Filipino Canadian artists are emerging from a long hibernation to showcase their work in the international art market. The uniqueness of styles in their work showed extraordinary artistry and exceptional creativity.
Recipient of the Philippine Presidential Award for Arts, Pagtitipon main organizer Lenore R.S. Lim said in the realization of her brainchild, “Pagtitipon is a gathering of artists to share what they had done, to share their life and their medium. And at the same time I got some New York artists to meet the Vancouver artists so in the future, maybe, the New York artists will invite the Vancouver artists.”
Coming Home by Tessie Dichupa.
Lim is a prolific artist who specializes in printmaking and travels extensively from New York to Manila to Singapore to Vancouver. She does her concept and planning while she’s traveling but she does the execution of the printmaking in New York where the press and master printmaker is. “Inspiration could be anywhere. Most artists start with nature and then nostalgia. So from nature and nostalgia, and then you go into a little obstruction so you can also have social issues.”
Pagtitipon exhibited the various work of the different artists that were carefully selected. In Vancouver’s artist Esmie Gayo McLaren’s words, “Seeing all of the paintings here, you can see the different styles and some of us like to give different messages in our work and that’s very important in art. And to be able to share it with each other in Pagtitipon is one of the highlights of my art career, so far.”
Founder of Dimasalang Group and cubist master SYM Mendoza graced the exhibit, “I like the title Pagtitipon, and it’s really, really Filipino. This is important for us because “Pagtipon-tipon”, hindi lang sa pagsamasama ng ordinary artists ito, mga group of artists that are very knowledgeable and they’re also good artists. They’re very good now in rendering and, also, expressing themselves. Now as I see the general painting ng pagkalahatan, the Filipinos have improved a lot already. We are globally exposed because of that. I hope all the Filipino artists will profit from this exhibit.”
Koifee Break by Danvic Briones.
More information on the 10 Pagtitipon artists:
Pagtitipon’s Jose Trinidad, Edgardo Lantin and Esmie Gayo McLaren are classically predisposed to painterly mimesis. Trinidad is a landscape and portrait artist whose impressionistic paintings exhibit tenderness, a love of sunlight and a vibrant use of color. Lantin captures on his canvas the essence of human struggles and the beauty of light’s illumination while McLaren’s pieces tell of passion, labor, simplicity, and childish abandon through whirls of skirts and spontaneous play.
Tessie Dichupa, Art Zamora and Danvic Briones deduce aura from physical phenomena into new compositions. Dichupa goes through uncharted paths and is inspired by forms and shapes in nature. Zamora is fascinated with circular abstraction and its underlying themes of radial balance, harmony and oneness. Briones is heavily influenced by surrealism, the subconscious, and Salvador Dali, and derives creative compulsions from the open road and dreams.
Imelda Cajipe Endaya and Bert Monterona purposively use distinct cultural motifs to advocate social causes. Endaya champions woman’s life-giving role – which to her is both a power and an encumbrance. Monterona is a student of social realism, creatively promoting awareness of political events and ecological concerns.
Carlos Esguerra and Lenore RS Lim derive satisfaction from extracting patterns, textures and silhouettes from their surroundings. Esguerra’s photography highlights the beauty of nature through the play of light and shadows while Lim blends the old with the new, changes and constant evolution — a recurring theme in her life and her works.
