Professional Documents
Culture Documents
(Press) Inquirer Nelia
(Press) Inquirer Nelia
http://www.inq7.net/globalnation/sec_phe/2005/may/11-01.htm
By Dessa Quesada
Inquirer News Service
CONSIDER the earthly terra cotta. It's one of the most time- and
labor-intensive mediums for an artist. Its outcome is virtually
unpredictable, and cracks almost inevitable. It has been brushed off,
literally and figuratively, simply as dirt, or even more to the point,
"putik lang yan!" (that's just mud). The medium in focus is the
humble clay, commonly associated with flower pots and huge water
jars, and certainly one that engenders a roster of challenges to those
it beckons.
Heralded as the first of its kind in the country, perhaps even the
world, the forthcoming Terra Cotta Arts Festival will be a major event
drawing participants from various parts of the Philippines.
The festival has become a much-anticipated addition to the mosaic of
cultural initiatives gestated, born and nurtured in the city of
Dumaguete, and the buzz has reverberated from north to south.
Festival director and multimedia artist Danni Sollesta, who in the last
year spearheaded with widely acclaimed Kitty Taniguchi, Dula sa
Lapuk (Playing with Mud) terra cotta workshops in Dumaguete and
San Carlos cities, says things just fell into place for the unfolding of
this festival.
Claytown
Through the years, an area of the city known as Claytown, now Daro,
had the unique distinction of being the source of an assortment of
clay items for both kitchen and garden use.
The festival seeks to push the boundaries of work with terra cotta
beyond the limits of traditional interpretations of craft and art by
creating an evocative venue for experimentation with ideas, materials
and processes, consequently infusing new creative energy into the
local terra cotta industry.
Danni and Kitty, the tireless sibling-team and core movers of the
festival, explained: "We want to ingrain the need to work with
aesthetic beauty as one of the goals in the craft. We need to shake
off the notion that terra cotta cannot be developed for high art."
Danni's "Apples and Women" (part of a series called "Untitled
Mythology"), and Kitty's "Chakra" and "Flight of the Wingless Crow,"
which includes a towering 9-ft tall crow's head, are some of the
works foregrounding the exhibit. Several other artists are drawn to
the festival, adopting terra cotta as medium for their creative
renderings.
Tagbilaran-based artist Nelia Lungay, whose knowledge about terra
cotta came during her stint at the Design Center of the Philippines,
explains that the attraction to terra cotta for her hinges on the
repetitiveness of the process, especially the kneading.
"It is soothing, quieting, introspective, a good time to think about
thoughts you normally don't think about," Lungay said. "It also has
an intimate feel, sinking your hands into the earth, it's so primal. The
process involves all the elements -- earth, water, wind and fire --
making it so close to nature."
Industrial strength
Silliman University will provide the venue for the competition and
exhibition, as well as board and lodging for some of the contestants.
Foundation University will offer fully equipped space for the lectures
as well as accommodations for participants. Support from the
Provincial Cultural Committee of Negros Oriental allows for artists to
fly in, including National Artist Napoleon Abueva, who heads the
team of jurors for the May 13 competition and will grace the grand
opening on May 14 as speaker.