By Dexter R. Matilla
Often the drudgery of life can feel so overwhelming that some lose sight of the reason they do what they do on a daily basis. Like horses wearing blinders, they go on their daily commute, do eight hours (or more) of hard work, and go home.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that but with such mentality, people tend to ignore the beauty in the mundane. There is thrill in the discovery of something new and each waking day brings exactly that.
In “Eskinita: The Heart of Filipino Urban Life,” Wilfredo “Yeye” Calderon paints sceneries that evoke a sense of deep appreciation for things that are often taken for granted. The ongoing exhibition at ArtAsia Gallery at SM Megamall features 24 new works from the watercolor artist and filmmaker whose painting career spans over 30 years.
Calderon is a member of the prestigious The Singapore Watercolour Society as well as Siningapor, a group of Filipino based in Singapore. He has shown his work in numerous local and international exhibitions, including Canada, Singapore, Slovenia, Serbia, Indonesia, Mexico, and China. He was awarded for doing one of the five best watercolor paintings in the 11th “Kulay Sa Tubig” Watercolor Competition by Gallery Genesis in 1994. He also won second place in the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence competition in 1996 and was a finalist in the GSIS National Art Competition Non-representational Art in 2018, Highly Commended Award in the Aquarelle Pyreneenne France, International Watercolor Masters 2021. He is one of the Outstanding UST Atelier Alumni for 2023.
Filipino urban life
Calderon beautifully encapsulates the essence of the vibrant and unique “eskinitas,” or alleys, in various cities around the Philippines with this exhibit. The viewers are, in a way, taken on a tour of what would otherwise seem humdrum but in the hands of Calderon become vivid and colorful images that not only inspire but also invite dialogue.
“The theme of ‘eskinita’ holds great significance in the context of Filipino urban life,” says Calderon. “While grand avenues and highways define many cities worldwide, the true essence of Filipino urban living lies within the narrow, winding streets known as ‘eskinitas.’ These alleys act as the arteries of everyday life for the majority of city dwellers. Without them, the colorful and often chaotic nature of the Philippines’ urban centers would be incomplete.”
Indeed it is in these alleys that some of the most interesting stories happen but either do not get told and are simply ignored.
What do people talk about early in the morning? How about bikers who go on early morning rides? What topics do merchants in a public market in Baguio discuss as people walk by on a daily basis, in search of the best value for their hard-earned money? These are just some of the questions one may be inspired to ask when viewing Kamustahan sa Umaga, Morning Ride, and Morning Walk along Baguio Publik Market.
With Buhay Looban (Eskinita), Mga Barung-Barong sa Loob ng Siyudad, and Ang Bayang Sagad sa Hirap, Calderon paints the reality of families navigating through life along narrow paths every day, some choosing to stay as if accepting their fate while some, as in the case of a curious kid wandering around, have a whole life ahead of them.
As dusk settles in, the city becomes different altogether as the subjects in Calderon’s canvas make their way home. The colors maintain its vibrancy even while the darkness begins to envelope the city as seen in Pag-uwi, Takipsilim, and Pag-lubog ng Araw.
But Calderon also offers something else entirely, tickling the mind even more with Karitela sa Eskinita and Pulang Bola, Alimango, at Bangkang Papel sa Eskinita with the former looking like an imagined alley in the Philippines covered in snow as a horse-drawn carriage passes by. The latter, quite literally, has a red ball, and a paper boat seemingly floating in the foreground, clearly open for interpretation to the viewer.
Calderon's masterful use of aquarelle, considered the most difficult medium in art, is displayed in full with this collection.
“Watercolor is like a wild horse,” Caldero says. “It is as difficult to tame and it takes so much time and patience. To tame this medium, one must learn the nature of water as it touches and spreads through paper. The hand must not resist the tendency of gravity and the way aqueous colors diffuse onto pulp. There is a kind of respect to water, earth, and air in making aquarelle art. This is precisely the way I made abstractions in this medium. As I tame water, pulp, and pigment, I become one with the work in a dance that is both mundane and divine. In the process, the paper forms a new reality, the wild becomes tamed and my imagination becomes art as the medium becomes my life. And then I realize that I was the wild horse and watercolor has tamed me.”
The collection dives deep into the heart and soul of these intricate passageways with each piece capturing the vivid spirit, the interplay of light and shadow, and the unique stories that unfold within these alleys, frozen in time under Calderon’s hands. The artist’s keen eye for detail and his ability to control the medium gives a strikingly intimate look at Filipino urban life, the rich tapestry of colors and textures offering a visual treat for art enthusiasts and collectors alike.
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