PHL art gets a closer look in Canada symposium

Philippine art in buildings, paintings and photography got a closer look at a recent symposium in Vancouver, Canada over the past week. More than 50 people attended the symposium when it opened on July 22 at The Network Hub, where three Filipino experts on the subject gave their interpretations of Philippine art. The forum was part of a series of talks and workshops on issues about the Philippines which was organized by Tulayan, a community group that seeks to introduce young members of the community to their culture, heritage, and history. Eraña, Filipino architect “John Eraña, an architecture graduate from McGill who is currently working for his registration in B.C.; artist Sofronio ‘SYM’ Mendoza and professional photographer Stuart Dee gave their interpretations of the Philippine scene at the symposium attended by more than 50 people," Philippine Asian News Today reported. Eraña traced the evolution of Philippine architecture from the indigenous bahay kubo to the bahay bato, as well as the Spanish and American influences. He also tackled the search for a truly Philippine genre in architecture. “The evolution of our architecture reflects how the people lived at the time," he said of the changes and challenges that Filipino architects faced. Eraña, who was born in the Philippines and grew up in Vancouver, was raised in a well-to-do family but believes class divisions should be left behind when one immigrates to a new country. Mendoza, Filipino painter Mendoza, the doyen of Philippine artists in Vancouver, gave a sampling of his work since his humble beginnings as an almost homeless provinciano in Manila struggling to make a start. A protégé of Cebuano master Martino Abellana, Mendoza eventually founded the artists’ group Dimasalang. His lifework is chronicled in a just-released book, “SYM: The Power of Struggle" by famous author Alfredo Roces and co-authored by Vancouver resident Sandie Gillis. Dee, Filipino photographer For his part, Dee, an award-winning photographer, presented a travelogue with some photos from his book – “The Philippines Rediscovered." He narrated the joys as well as the dangers of his work in a humorous way. “Only when I came back from Mindanao did I realize that I could have been killed," he recalled. Dee also recalled an incident where he did not realize he had unfastened his safety belt in his zeal to get the best angle of an aerial shot from an airplane. At a young age, Dee had immigrated to Canada where he studied painting and photography, graduating from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. Now based in the Pacific Northwest, Dee has photographed extensively in over 30 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Dee’s work was included in Kodak’s “10,000 Eyes" book commemorating the 150th anniversary of photography. — MRT, GMA News