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AG Saño's dolphin street art frolics in gallery


Sidewalk walls, concrete barriers, and interiors of some buildings have been the canvas for dolphin-themed murals by A.G. Saño and fellow marine life crusaders. Now, their very public art adorns the walls of an established gallery, Indios Bravos, along Mabini Street in San Juan City until end of May. At various locations across the country, many walls have been painted over with mural art depicting marine mammals, most prominently dolphins, frolicking amidst sea waves and enjoying freedom in the wild. With the help of a band of kindred spirits, A.G. Saño paints the dolphin murals. They call themselves the Dolphins Love Freedom Network, coordinating their ‘art attacks’ through phone calls, SMS, Facebook messages, and emails. First, they scout for strategically-located walls so their art can be seen by as many people as possible. Their campaign seeks to generate wide public awareness about letting dolphins and other marine mammals live freely in the wide open seas. Sometimes, friends and acquaintances give them tips on where there are well-placed walls.

Large dolphin mural in Parang, Marikina. Maye Padilla
Then they get permission to use the concrete fences and barriers as a canvas for their cause-oriented art. Sometimes, they get to paint indoors, on walls of stores and restaurants. Once clearance is secured, the convenient date is chosen and logistics are determined. One normal-sized wall of several square meters usually takes from mid-morning to mid-afternoon to complete, but larger walls take several days. They break for lunch of course. If the gang is unavailable during the day, they paint all night. Saño starts one mural by sketching outlines of the dolphins and waves. Then the gang comes in to paint the first layer of colors. Volunteers often bring donations of pails of paint and some brushes. No two murals are exactly alike. The sketches and color schemes are different from wall to wall. Saño and some veterans in the team work on the highlights, shades, enhancements and finishing touches.
Dolphins Love Freedom exhibit at Indios Bravos Art Gallery in San Juan. Zerah Capili
The dolphin art campaign is nationwide, especially in areas where there’s the need to educate residents about protecting marine wildlife. Key cities and towns near migration paths of marine mammals are mural sites. Bacolod, Dumaguete, Sarangani province, and Batangas province Saño and a few friends once went to Singapore to do a dolphin mural. It was a special event tied to the screening of The Cove, the 2010 Academy Award winner for Best Documentary Feature, about the slaughter of dolphins in the cove of Taiji, Japan. It was this movie that first inspired the former landscape architect to mount the dolphin art attacks. When not painting murals, Saño and friends go on nature expeditions, looking for dolphins and whales. Nearly every year, he and other sea mammal advocates journey to northern Luzon where they are part of a team that documents in detail the passage of humpback whales through the waters surrounding the Babuyan islands. Saño and his dolphin art have been featured in reports on CNN and Channel News Asia, among others. The murals have also caught the discerning and expert eyes of some people in the local art community. Ongoing until the end of May at the Indios Bravos Art and Antiques Gallery along Mabini Street in San Juan is A.G. Saño’s second solo art exhibit entitled, Dolphins Love Freedom. — HS, GMA News
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