Soulprints - Amyline Quien Ching

Bare Essentials

In a sea of commercialized art, Bora artists prove that art can still stand out with nothing but sheer talent
By Amyline Quien Ching

The moment Peter—a Canadian who travel to Boracay several times a year—clapped his eyes on another tourist in Alaska, he immediately knew for sure that the guy went to Boracay; not because of some sixth sense as most would assume but more of a ‘fashion’ sense. The stranger, you see, was also wearing a piece of art that people can only find in Bora.

Peter is but one of the many tourists who have shared anecdotes on the unique items that they have bought from Mariit, a small stall right across Mandarin Island Hotel in Boracay. Not one to miss (or to forget) despite its relatively cramped space, the shop houses every art lover’s dream pieces: wooden Lulud sculptures depicting local mythological Gods; hand-carved wooden masks similar to traditional African Malian masks, which they call Gulgul; handmade accessories with semi-precious stones, snake bones and wild boar’s fangs; and arcane wall sculptures. The shop is managed by a group of local artists—Richie Condeza, Saude Yanoc, Ronnie Yanoc, Melsie Yanoc, and Joey Esturis—with the same name and is a haven of truly unique and eclectic finds. Only those who have been to the island can own such pieces.

From trash to treasure

Mariit is Hiligaynon (a native dialect) for ‘a place that is sacred’ and members of the group subscribe to a credo that will have eco-fiends nodding their heads in unison. They believe that things— both living and non-living— should not be harmed or destroyed. There is a sacredness inside all things that must be respected and preserved at all cost. Their battle cry: Destroy nature and you destroy yourself.

Thus each of the pieces in the shop comes from materials that are locally sourced-out, sometimes even ‘scavenged’ or recycled. Yanoc, for instance, uses nito for his bracelets and necklaces, which believe it or not, he just picks off the ground during his morning walks. The semi-precious stones on his bracelets and necklaces are shipped from Palawan, where they can be found in abundance.

His co-member Joey Esturis, on the other hand, uses branches that have fallen off from trees for his wooden masterpieces. One of his renowned works now stands across the Mandarin Island Hotel— a totem pole that depicts Filipino values and culture. According to Esturis, the pole was actually an uprooted tree that he was commissioned to carve and then implant again. The topmost layer showed a known Pinoy pastime, the sabong, as depicted by an intricate carving of a manok. The middle part had carved farmers working during harvest while the layer near the ground had Pinoys carrying a bahay kubo, representing the Filipino bayanihan spirit.

Truly rare finds

Using recycled or local materials does not, however, mean that their works are tacky. Looking at Yanoc’s quirky accessories and Esturis’ imposing wooden sculptures, it is hard to imagine that each piece is made from materials that people throw away. And the prices do not help your imagination either. A sculpture can burn a 2000-peso-hole in your pocket while the wooden masks are priced at P1500 each. One measly arm accessory can cost you about P1500 to P1800 while a Yanoc necklace is a lot more costly. Besides the semi-precious stone, what a buyer actually pays for is the rarity of the design.

“Dito lang meron niyan. Ang liit lang ng stall namin but a lot of people stop by because we sell really one-of-a-kind pieces. Most of the clients that we have are repeat customers or those referred to us by our other buyers, mostly foreigners. They love our pieces because they are really pinoy, ethnic even. Plus, you can be sure that each is unique. You might find something similar but never the same. And we are the first to come up with the design. Original siya. Kaya nga when they see our products abroad, they immediately recognize that it came from Boracay,” says Yanoc, rattling off stories that are similar to Peter’s experience, all the way from Germany and Canada.

The distinctiveness of their artworks comes from their unwillingness to commercialize their products. All items are handmade and only a few pieces are created at a given time. Yanoc, for one, even stops production altogether when he sees other artists doing the same designs or concept.

“Hindi naman talaga maiiwasan ang gayahan. We get inspired by other people’s work. Pero ako kasi, ayoko ng may kapareha. Pag may nakita na akong pareho ng ginagawa ko, I stop doing the design. That’s why I also avoid joining trade fairs even if it is one way to advertise my work and a chance to be famous.”

For the Mariit artists, doing so is far from the career and financial suicide that people often think it is. His work can speak for itself, even if he is not as well-known commercially and his ware displayed on a simple wooden table devoid of any trappings of success. As Saude had mentioned, people who truly have the eye for Art need not go to famed studios and art galleries to find masterpieces. You can find treasures in the barest of conditions, even among trash and recyclables. God, after all, made his greatest masterpiece— Man — from just dirt. (Published in Manila Bulletin)

posted by Amyline Quien Ching @ 5:19 PM