Four generations of artistry shine in ‘Salinlahi IV,’ a visual exhibit featuring the creations of Lydia Velasco and her kin
Art binds us. It is a bridge not only for artists to reach their audiences but also for consumers to be immersed in important topics and issues portrayed in a medium. For Lydia Velasco, art brings families closer together. The contemporary painter recently collaborated with budding artists from her ménage in an exhibit dubbed “Salinlahi IV.”
The series of paintings was born with the shared brushstrokes of Lydia and the artists within four generations of her clan. This includes her sisters, Tessie Pecaña, Fely Reyes, Sarah Doringo, and Daisy Velasco Carlos, her children Chie Cruz and Chigoe Cruz, as well as other relatives, including Isidora Duran, Lon de Cruz, Isabella dela Cruz, Arlene Manalus, Lex Picaña, Michelle Molo, Phoebe Carlos, Kim Carlos, and Kris Ian Carlos.
“Salinlahi VI” is a showcase of the cognitive connectedness of each Velasco artist, sharing similar subject interests, color palettes, and individual uniqueness.
In early November, the collaborative project was displayed at the Drybrush Gallery, which had just opened its physical branch on the second floor of SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Square in Pasay City. It’s an online art market established by husband and wife Jojo and Joweeh Liao at the height of the pandemic. Another onsite Drybrush Gallery is at SM City North Edsa.
“We are honored and truly grateful that Ma’am Lydia had an exhibit here. Our request was to highlight her family in line with our mission to promote more the burgeoning artist,” explains Jojo during the launch of the exhibit. “We want to give emerging artists a chance. Give them a good push, a good start.”
More of a passion project, Drybrush Gallery is a platform for both established and emerging artists to present and sell their artworks amid the health crisis. Now, it is a hybrid venue, with its online component still intact and thriving, carrying over 1,500 artworks from 280 local artists.
“I saw the talents of my sisters and thought it was such a waste if they were not exposed. They have been painting on their own for a long time. I wanted this to be a means for people to realize just how good my siblings are, while also encouraging my family to explore art more,” says Lydia, who is among the top women artists of the Philippines today.
The 80-year-old painter has always had creative blood running through her veins. She began her career through the influence of her parents. Her dad was a set designer for a movie studio while her mom was a homemaker who liked painting stills. Lydia finished Fine Arts in college, majoring in advertising, and had jobs at various advertising firms before founding her own company, Lightmoves Photo/Design, Inc.
She would later become an institution in the local art scene, known for her creations that celebrated the identity and freedom of women. Art collectors in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, the US, and the UK would collect her artworks, some of which have even been auctioned off at Sotheby’s, Borobudur, Larasati, and Masterpiece.
The Velasco sisters Tessie, Fely, Daisy, Sarah, and Lydia, have a mutual fascination with flowers and love, subjects of their creations. And yet, the sisters have unique passions and styles that set them apart from one another.
Daisy Carlos’ interest in fairytales and nature is apparent in her pieces, often containing images of women surrounded by birds, animals, and flowers or beings in a fantasy world.
Tessie Pecaña’s art is straightforward, leaning toward classical realism using bold strokes, brilliant colors, and hazy and gentle edging that give her paintings an impressionist touch.
Fely Reyes is the late bloomer, describing herself as a romantic who enjoys painting flora because of the intimacy and tenderness they signify.
Sarah Doringo is into acrylic pouring, applying several techniques such as color combinations, brush strokes, air blowing, swiping, and balloon marking.
The highlight of the collection is the Salinlahi IV, an artwork done solely by Lydia. On the canvas is a mother embracing her child, representative of the current generation taking care of the next. Consistent with the signature style of many of Lydia’s works, the woman in the portrait asserts glory, identity, and liberation.
On the canvas is a mother embracing her child, representative of the current generation taking care of the next. Consistent with the signature style in many of Lydia’s works, the woman in the portrait asserts glory, identity, and liberation.
While Lydia may not admit it, Salinlahi IV could also be a reflection of her state of isolation during the Covid-19 outbreak. It was an inadvertent self-portrait depicting herself not as the mother but as the coddled infant. “I was overly protected by my family. Ayaw ako palabasin, ayaw ako pagalawin. Lagi akong naka-quarantine (They wouldn’t let me go out or move) even though I was fit!” laments Lydia.
During her seclusion, Lydia dabbled in watercolor and black and white paintings. “I was restricted from using oil because my kids told me to avoid it for my lungs,” she says.
Next year, Lydia plans on exploring a different art form—sculpting. “We are already in the preparation stage of when I try sculptures,” she beams.
Her advice to young artists who are just starting is, “Work hard… Work, work, and feel! Listen to yourself, and try to find your identity. Everything unfolds when you understand yourself,” she says.
Drybrush.com/exhibitions/salinlahi-iv | [email protected] | 0917 565 2917