Most of us would think that artists are borne out of sheer talent or someone who develops it after intensive training. But in truth, art is non-binary. As I’ve been going around Baguio to meet with local artists, I’ve come to understand that no one is “a mere natural.” True, Baguio was designated as a creative city under UNESCO, but there’s more to being a Baguio artist than meets the eye. Enter Adrian Roxas, a local craftsman who’s been dabbling in the art industry for 16 years now.
My expectations were shattered upon meeting Adrian for the first time. He certainly looks the artist type—colorful painted shirt with bangles on his arms, a grim (almost timidly stoic) expression, and an aura of interest and curiosity. But positive stereotypes aside, Adrian is more than just a Baguio artist. In his own words, he’s more of a “craftsman,” and he’s really good at it. So there I was, thinking he’d flaunt his artistry right away.
It’s not that he’s withdrawn, but it’s the way he describes his work that made me rethink how I look at Baguio artists. After living in the city my whole life, I’ve developed this notion that our artists are so creative that their very essence makes you know and feel it from the get-go. With Adrian, it’s different. He refuses the general label.
He started out as a factory worker and only got the inspiration to pursue art after seeing small-time artists set up shop at the Session Road Night Market (this was a couple of years before the famous nighttime attraction transferred to Harrison Road). It piqued his interest; and soon enough, he became one of those who sold their work to locals and tourists every night.
Hope From Crafted Leather
Adrian uses leather as his main medium. He also does paintings and assembles other knick-knacks but sees creating things from leather and melted rubber as his heart’s place.
Adrian’s work is the result of a free-flowing imagination—similar to the creative process of 50’s beat writers, William S. Burroughs, and Jack Kerouac—that’s always based on the disposition of his emotions. To put it simply, “kung anong feel ko that time.”
He makes bags and small pouches with intricate tribal designs that echo the distinct culture of Baguio. Each piece is carefully crafted to make sure that it’s unique and will go well with any type of personality. Unlike the painted or quilted ones, Adrian’s designs take more time to make. He spends his nights creating the bags and works his way until he gets the right kind of design. But what’s also interesting about Adrian’s work is that it’s never the finished product. His process and design are so flexible that you can keep adding elements to it while still retaining its beauty.
When asked about the importance of meaning behind his art, Adrian believes that it’s something that has to go with every work that he produces. “Para magkaroon ng character yung bawa’t piyesa,” Adrian says. Most of the bags that Adrian makes have one central theme—hope. It’s this very concept that Adrian wants people to glean from his products and art. “It’s everyone’s wish na gumising sa bagong umaga,” Adrian explains.
He also describes the way he works as that of a mad scientist’s—nitpicking what could work for his creation and making it all fit seamlessly into each other. That’s why Adrian’s pieces sometimes look very random yet oddly complete. He uses beads, rocks, clay, rubber, and other malleable materials to make beauty from the broken.
A Radical Artistic Origin and Definition
Adrian became a craftsman out of the desire to earn. Of course, art is something that complements that drive, but Adrian also sees it as a way to create something that people would love to own. His customers often marvel at his work; at the same time giving Adrian the motivation to keep on creating. Art is not just something to look at—it has to be experienced and owned too.
It’s amazing how Adrian marries practicality and artistry into something that supports his passion. Again, I was nonplussed at how Adrian is in terms of his personality—he has all the elements of a master creator, and mad artist rolled into one. Although he wasn’t born an artist and trained for the craft, Adrian is an example of the enigma that is in Creative Baguio—it just is. Simply being is where his art thrives. It’s unexplainable.
Adrian is a testament that one can become an artist overnight. It may be that his talent and passion have always been with him, only waiting to be unlocked; but it’s interesting how artistry can be borne out of a casual stroll along Session Road. It gives struggling artists the perspective that everything can start randomly. And once it does, you’re in for a years-long journey of discovering your own expression and learning how it is to make a living while creating something of meaning and value.
Adrian left me one thing when our conversation ended. Ideas are always a fountain of sorts. It never runs out. You just have to chase it and continue hoping that there’s always something beautiful in the random and mundane.
Visit Rayon Online Shopping and take a look at more of Adrian Roxas’ art. Support local artists!