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These are the people of his neighborhood: the barefoot street
sweeper, the scandalous whore, simple-minded laborer and the hulking
fish monger. Dan Tayona writes about them on his blog, http://visualviscera.blogspot.com,
revealing his intimate interactions and insights with words that
leave plenty to read between the lines. And he paints them. Empathic
and intimate, these pen and ink artworks pierce the hart so
tenderly.
On his last days in his neighborhood in Pasay,
artist Dan Tayona exhibits pages from his book of days with the
exhibit Stories From My Window until May 23 at the Kaida Gallery in
Kammuning Road, Quezon City.
His portrays people as plump and placid,
reminiscent of Columbian painter Fernando Botero’s trademark work.
But while Botero’s subjects evoke dwarves and midgets, Tayona
infuses all his subjects with plump infant-like proportions and the
sad, soulful, double-lidded eyes of a Santo Niño (child Christ). He
explains, “I was influenced by my five-year experience in
puppetry. With puppetry, you favor rounded forms to appeal to
children.”
An accomplished professional painter and a
graduate of the College of Fine Arts at the University of the
Philippines in Diliman, Tayona’s work is subtle and sublime. His
works reveal a deep understanding of his subjects. His blog further
enriches one’s appreciation:
“Like the curious cat I am, I looked out of my
window trying to find the source of the heated exchange. Glancing
from left to right, I saw the couple standing a few feet from the
corner of Park Avenue and Libertad where Manang Alice the balut
vendor holds her reign. The agitated female voice belonged to Nene.
She was standing there with her arms on her waist and bearing her
rather hefty frame in a fighting stance in front of Ariel, the guy
who’s responsible for my early morning fish and her rather timid,
mouse-like boyfriend.
Pointing a freshly red-coated finger at him, she
continues, ‘And besides when you come home every night, I can’t
stand the smell of fish on you body. Even your penis smells of
fish!’”
This exhibit is more than a showcase, it is a
conversation that promises to continue.
Stories From My Window pen and ink exhibit by
Dan Tayona is at Kaida Gallery, 2nd flr., GFO bldg., 122 Kamuning
Rd., Quezon City. For details, call 414-147777, e-mail info@kaidagallery.com
or visit www.kaidagallery.com or http://visualviscera.blogspot.com.
-- Rome Jorge
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