by Maris Villanueva
“Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”
—Cesar A. Cruz, Mexican poet and academic
Sauntering the halls of Ayala Center Cebu, eight suspended canvas cloth with nylon ropes—draping in the air—greets you by the entryway near Rustan’s; and as you hover by Healthy Options while gently craning one’s neck from the second floor, you weave your brows. Scouring at the pieces distinctly made. Meticulously painted colors in lines and abstract forms.
Lauding this year’s theme on embracing new horizons, Roy Ingente—Cebu-based art installation artist—pilots the collaborative art installation with four other student-artists from his alma mater, University of the Philippines Cebu: Victoria Tanquerido, Juanito Salvo, Kyryne dela Torre, and Alexis Ladera. Sewn from the Bisaya word “bitay,” which means “to hang,” the installation reimagines a thought-provoking perspective on its title—KUMBITAY as it weaves through the untold stories of the five artists involved.
Emanating from his explication of KUMBITAY, Roy dribbles past the rather controversial prospect of the installation as he postulates on the notion of hanging plants as his constructed etymology of adaptability—echoing the essence of Tubô Cebu Art Fair 2024 on hailing contemporary methods all while plunging one’s self on the ripples of uncertainty.
Boholano student-artist Alexis Ladera, divulges her piece on the fast-paced milieu—exploring the techniques of image transfer. Alexis integrates her concept through captures from her upbringing, briefly giving a glimpse of the life she had in Manila, Bohol and Cebu. Juanito Salvo, a Tacloban native, seams his narrative through traditional methods of sketching and painting as grappling his earliest recollection on adapting to a new environment. Juanito apprised the liberating euphoria upon being able to discover balance through the rapidly growing city of opportunities.
Alexis Ladera working on her piece
Tales plucked from the artists’ anecdotes converge through the threads of the textile, echoing their personal hurdles on navigating life as a nonlocal student in the bustling city of Cebu along with seeking balance in spite of the conditions they currently nestled in. KUMBITAY sifts through the narratives on common themes depicted in art, emerging new visions from the audience’s bearings.
Juanito Salvo applying paint to his artwork
Roy advocates the freedom of self-expression, apart from producing art that disturbs the comfortable and comforts the disturbed. He sternly encourages the new generation of artists to embrace the obstacles by allowing one to take the time. He believes that even in the moments of precariousness, it’s crucial to love what you do.
Disparities in viability exceed the mind of an individual. Stories stain cries of joy and the boisterous weeping on the finely woven fabric of the canvas cloth as the artists guzzle the hues and shapes with their bare hands. KUMBITAY, like any other art, is an experience to devise what it means to resonate the vulnerability of the artist in persevering. Instilling consistency of savior faire, serving warrant on the feasibility in making art.
Resilience has become an identity to every Filipino—often tackled in various representations on art, commonly referred symbolism to such. This collaborative art installation opens a vast modern discourse on malleability, forging tranquility amidst growing divergence on artistic endeavors and challenges drawn upon.
The KUMBITAY art installation will be up for viewing at the Signature Collection of Tubô Cebu Art Fair 2024.