Baguio artists come home for reunion; open exhibit

BAGUIO CITY -- A reunion of art and friendship has come home.

After the success opening at Ayala Museum in February, visual artists, John Frank Sabado, Ged Alangui, Jordan Mang-osan and Leanard Aguinaldo came home to open their exhibit in Tam – awan Village gallery here April 6.

The group formed Kalasag (shield) two decades ago to create art pieces with meaning and direction with an advocacy to protect the culture, tradition and heritage of the Cordillera.

Sabado, Alangui, Mang-osan and Aguinaldo said they have chosen a path of meaning to impart renewed love for earth and culture in each of their works.

Two decades of camaraderie is marked in the upcoming exhibit with the bond of friendship linking the four artists together. 

Kalasag’s exhibition is a renewal of ties as well as the goal to protect Mother Earth, its culture and its intrinsic art.

Kalasag was founded in 1992 during the Impakabsat exhibition in Makati.

The foursome decided to join the Cordilleran exhibit and since then, have worked to practice culture based ideas into unique visual and installation art.

The foursome travelled in different paths since the inception two decades ago but converged to become part of the Tam-awan Village Artist roster with a common goal to stand as safeguards to the environment through their art.

Alangui works with ink, graphite, acrylic and watercolour, visiting Japan, Korea, England, Denmark, Australia and the United States for exhibitions.

Alangui’s work is a reflection of the beauty of culture, its deep colors and hues as well as cultural meaning.

Alangui’s passion for bike trail riding enables him to commune with nature in the various trails he traverses with nature providing a gratifying time painting within the mountain trails.

Aguinaldo, a mixed media artist started his career in 1993 and is known for his rubber cut designs, he champions the culture of the North through his designs depicting the landscapes and images of the Cordilleras.

He is an illustrator as well as a mentor for many who attend his art classes and workshops.

Mang-osan has carved his niche in the art scene as a solar painter who mixes his sun inspired work with paint; also known for his works combining solar drawing and pyrography (electric wood burning pen) in

Immersing himself into art when he was 19 with works depicting the Cordillera landscapes, images, and symbols using indigenous materials with his combinations of the acrylic medium on canvas, pen and ink rendition on hard board and wood, and flat stones, mixed media and solar drawing on various surfaces such as handmade paper, hardboard panel and wood, his creativeness has earned him recognition as well as respect from his peers.

Sabado is a lover of nature and is inspired to protect Mother Earth through his works which often reflects on the plight of the environment today.

Growing up within a logging concession Sabado was surrounded with Mother Nature, making the mountains his playground and seeing at a young age how man made use of natural resources, he considers Culture as his weapon  to combat ecological destruction.

For information, contact: Chanum Foundation, Inc.
Tam-awan Village, 366-C Pinsao Proper, Baguio City 2600
Tel. No.: +63 74 446 2949 or +63 74 442 5551, fax: +63 74 442 5553, mobile: +639215883131 or open www.tam-awanvillage.com