Anakbanwa Art Exhibit in Dagupan, Pangasinan
We welcomed the new year by checking out local art in Dagupan, Pangasinan. The Anakbanwa Arts Residency Project is now exhibiting art by Dagupan-based artists as well as other artists from different areas in Luzon.
Some of my favorites include these acrylic works on plywood by Rose Sibayan Felix above, and GIlbert Alegoyojo below. I liked the colorful faces and characters by these two artists.
The MacArthur House at West Central Elementary School I
The artwork is being shown at the newly-renovated MacArthur House where General Douglas MacArthur made headquarters after the invasion of Lingayen Gulf in 1945. Dagupan sits at the center of the gulf’s shore where US and British navy fleets fought Japanese occupiers.
Who knew that this American colonial legacy would soon hold within it local legacies too. But I guess this is just another example of how colonial residue sits side-by-side with Filipino creativity. Spanish church ceiling paintings or kisame, and designs of (and on) the American jeep are still alive and continued.
Who are the artists of Dagupan?
Another favorite of mine are the “Supa Ak” acrylic wood panel cutouts by several local artists, namely Jal Hernandez, Troy Casupanan, Eduard, Pochacho Patatas, Rose Felix, Allen Dela Cruz, Lyantra Kryzelle Pasion, Loren Dizon.
“Supa Ak” or “Siopa ak” is Pangasinan for “who I am” or “who am I”. The artists further elaborate in their artist statement:
This artwork is a homage to our origins, the late-night walks in the streets of Dagupan and chance meetings. Each element representing individual and collective experiences and memories intertwined by the common love for art… It is the representation of our collective experience and our constant desire to find purpose and identity.
“Supa Ak” artist statement: Jal Hernandez, Troy Casupanan, Eduard, Pochacho Patatas, Rose Felix, Allen Dela Cruz, Lyantra Kryzelle Pasion, Loren Dizon.
Anakbanwa = Child of the homeland
Another thing I learned from the exhibit is that Anakbanwa means “Child of the homeland or territory”, and in this homeland we now know as Pangasinan, there were two ancient kingdoms.
In one of the informational posters at the exhibit, it states:
During its pre-colonial reign, the region that the Spanish clustered as Pangasinan, which literally meant place of salt or salt-making, was divided into two ancient kingdoms called Luyag na Caboloan (luyag ed dapit-ilog), the interior land near the river and Panag-asinan (luyag ed dapit-baybay), the coastal kingdom connecting the earth to the sea.
Anakbanwa Arts Residency Project
Artists from in and outside the 4th District of Pangasinan
The exhibit is a product of the Anakbanwa Arts Residency Project, which is an initiative of the 4th District of Pangasinan. It connects local and non-local artists together, as well as connecting them with neighbors and communities within the district. Its aim is to immerse participants in the local cultural heritage as well as “experience the ecological landscape in the fourth district as well as the interior (alog) and coastal (baybay) municipalities within the Province of Pangasinan.”
Ecology and the environment
This aspect of ecology and the environment was prevalent in other artworks, like those by Razel Mari Sta Rita, Marco Ortiga, and Corinne de San Jose.
Razel’s “Rooted Birds” got my attention because of the intricate woven basketry used for the birds, as well as Razel’s statement on his installation:
Watching birds became my pastime while locked-in during the pandemic… I admire how birds can just fly all over and be free to go wherever they want. With some even flying miles away during the migration season, knowing no boundaries and concept of territories…
Pangasinan gave me a chance to observe different varieties of birds, including migratory ones visiting during this cold season. These migrants seek refuge from the winter season to regions with more temperate climates. The rich mangrove habitats of Pangasinan give home to these visiting birds.
Razel Mari Sta Rita, Artist Statement.
Pangasinan is a prime destination for our “feathered tourists”, with thousands of sightings of migratory birds every year. The fish ponds and rice fields are favored buffets of fish and insects for birds such as egrets, locally known as dulakak. In fact, a rare sighting of a endangered migratory bird was made in Pangasinan last August 2021.
Exhibit ends January 31
There are lots more beautiful art at the exhibit, so if you’re in Pangasinan I recommend a drive to Dagupan. Merchandise such as t-shirts, as well as these pay-pay’s or fans made in nearby Manaoag, are available for sale.
Find the exhibit at the MacArthur House on the campus of West Central Elementary School I in Dagupan, Pangasinan.
- MacArthur House
- West Central Elementary School I
- Burgos St, Downtown District, Dagupan, Pangasinan
- Google Map here.