Fruits of the Earth and the Art of

Reynante “Nante” Carandang

In the story of Creation in the Book of Genesis, at the end of every creation, the Almighty God
Yahweh, will always see—and say—that what He has created is good and worth keeping. And the
works of Reynante “Nante” Carandang, a 45-year old visual artist from the town of Tuy, in the
Province of Batangas, are but a celebration of life and of God’s creations.

The writer met Carandang when he was busy writing his first coffee table book about the works of
Filipino artists, Different Strokes: A Book on the Ingenuity of Filipino Artists in 2015. At first glance, he
fell in love with Carandang’s works.

“I really love painting about nature, and everything that has life because I believe that these are all
God’s creations, which He has given us for us to enjoy, and of course, to take care of,” he said in a
Facebook interview with Linang Magazine.

The artist as a steward of God’s creations

For him as an artist, it is part of his duty to become a steward of God’s creations, an advocate of
protecting and preserving our natural environment.

“I want to become a medium in reminding all people about the beauty of all God’s creations, that
these are His gift to all of us. We need to remind ourselves that we need to take care of and protect
all these gifts of God to mankind, for the future generations to enjoy. My paintings of different fruits,
fishes, birds, plants, animals, seascapes and landscapes will attest to my advocacy,” Carandang
shared to Linang.

Most of his paintings are done in hyperrealist style, where the audience can almost taste, smell, and
feel the painting. The painting of the Philippine eagle for example, will give you that feeling of close
encounter with the haribon, the king of the birds, which is sad to say, is in the brink of extinction
because of loss of habitat and hunting; or the paintings of sinturis, which will you crave to this sweet
and sour fruit that is often eaten with a dash of salt; or the ripe mango that goes with the riddle:

Hugis puso,
Kulay ginto,
Masarap amuyin,
Malinamnam kainin

(Heart-shaped and golden,

So fragrant to smell, so good to be eaten)
But it is not the style that makes the paintings of Carandang lovable. It is the essence, the philosophy
behind the works that make them truly unique and desirable.
“Whenever I paint, I'm putting my heart and soul in it, so that you can feel, smell and touch the
subject through my works,” he said with all humility.

However, his works delve not only about nature. Carandang is also known for his abstract paintings.

Through abstract painting, Carandang confessed, he liberates his mind and soul.

“I’m doing also abstract to express more of my soul and my innermost feelings or emotions. It gives
you freedom, since it has no restrictions [when it comes to style and execution]. Just pure
expression… That’s why, I love doing abstract, too,” stated Carandang.

Asked about his influences:

“I have the local Masters Juan Luna, Fernando Amorsolo, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, and Cesar
Legaspi as my idols. I look up to, when it comes to style, Rembrandt, Gaugin, Van Gogh, Monet, and
Jackson Pollock. I may say that they've influenced me in such a way because first, I loved their art;
and second, I love their life stories.”

Continued notwithstanding criticisms

But the success of Carandang is not without difficulty. He has to face heavy criticism.

“Of course I have received so many criticisms regarding my work. But I didn’t let it to stop me to do
what I love to do. I just painted. I didn’t have any grudge against my critics,” Carandang said in his
message to Linang Magazine. But how did he do it? Of not getting affected with criticisms? For
Carandang, it is pretty simple: He receives criticisms, positive and negative, with an open mind and
heart, and just to paint every day.

“I just painted, painted every day, and the four corners of my studio here in Batangas, have been the
silent witness of how I persevered. For me, you don’t compete with others—you only compete with
yourself. You need to outdo what you did yesterday. That’s why I created the matra, “Pinta lang nang
pinta” [just paint]—because I truly believe that it’s only myself who could make me a good artist and
a better person,” he explained.

As for sources of inspiration to continue painting, he enumerates:

“First of all my inspirations came from God, who gave me this talent;

“Second, I draw inspiration from my life experiences, which made me a person that I am now, and
had given me this worldview;

“I also draw inspiration from people who have played crucial roles in my life, who made me into a
strong and independent person; and
“I'm also inspired by those people who were inspired by my works. These things, I think are more
than enough to keep me going, to paint images that will touch the hearts and lives of many. And of
course, Tuy is also a source of inspiration because it is home,” he said.

In the next five to ten years, Carandang sees himself still as a painter, and nothing else.

“I can’t see myself doing something else,” he quips.

If he is not busy painting, he cooks for his family, takes care of his pets, watch action films, and then
paint again.