Frames: Art Exhibit At Old Baguio Boys, Nevada Square

This might surprise a few of my readers, but I actually enjoy more things in life than just video games and TV. One thing would be visual arts. Another thing would be the occasional bottle of beer. Granted, I have little skill in the former. Either way, I heard that the Old Baguio Boys bar at Nevada Square was hosting an art exhibit called “Frames” starting on July 29. Why not hit two birds with one stone?

Frames: Art Exhibit by Laurice Pocais and Raisa Pocais

First things first. I won’t summarize everything the exhibit has. This is partly because it is extremely difficult to review a single painting, never mind an entire room of paintings. It is also partly because I encourage you to check it out yourselves. I don’t want to spoil everything.

Straight into the details, “Frames” features pen and watercolor works by two sisters. Upon entering the exhibit, one will notice a recurring theme. A vast majority of the works on display are portraits of actual people in their traditional garments. Much of the imagery depicted in the paintings is meant to bring to life the “everyman” of the Cordilleras. The Pocais sisters, Kalinga women, make evident in their paintings three things: love for nature, strength of the feminine half of humanity, and beauty of cultural heritage. Quite a fitting display for the venue, if one may say so.

While only Laurice was present during the opening night, the ensuing discussion gave quite the insight into the artists’ styles, lives, and inspirations.

The Pocais Art Styles: Motion and Form

There is a distinct contrast between Laurice and Raisa Pocais’ styles. The most obvious is that Laurice prefers pen-on-paper as her medium for her art, while Raisa much prefers watercolor. However, this is not the defining divergence between them. The true distinction between the sisters is seen in the way Laurice captures solid form, compared to the way Raisa captures fluid motion.

Laurice captures still imagery in her works, freezing the subject in time. She prefers to bind her subjects with borders and lines that clearly define where an object begins and ends. This offers her the advantage of stronger contrast and shading. Raisa on the other hand, uses free-flowing palettes that look as though the subject is ready to jump out of the canvas at a moment’s notice. Laurice attributes this divergence to the evolution of a competitive spirit between her and her sister. As children, they often tried to outdo each other in the same niche. As grown artists, they decided to discover their own.

There is one thing of note, however. Because of the polar difference of each artist methods, the absence of the opposite style’s defining elements tends to stick out. This is especially true when looking at several works side by side. This is only a minor issue when viewing the exhibit as a whole, and it does not remove from the quality of each individual piece.

An Artist’s Discussion on Culture

Beyond conversing of the technical aspect of art, Laurice also spoke of a deep-seated pride in her tribal roots. More than that, she revealed the side-by-side evolution of her art and her pride. It may not show in her works, but she told of a time when she was afraid to admit to her cultural heritage. Let’s put it in perspective. Even today, children use “tagabundok,” “Bisaya,” “tagabukid,” “Igorot” and other similar words as insults. Filipinos often degrade the heritage of other Filipinos by speaking of their origins as such. No doubt it is difficult to feel proud of who you are when those around you don’t think of it the same way.

But as Laurice put it, it is more about what you think of your culture than what others do. This is the message she portrays in many of her works. I believe Laurice’s art is a story of appreciation. It is about defeating the perceived backwardness associated with tribes and tradition. I believe it is about appreciation for who you are, and what you are, regardless of the terms set by others.

Don’t take my word for it, though. Art affects everyone differently, after all. I personally recommend taking a few hours off to visit Frames. Who knows? If the sisters are around, they can probably answer your questions better than I can. The exhibit will be up until August 31.