Artists of the Philippine National Shrine of our
Lady of Fatima
Presented by Kunst Gallery Philippines
Ernesto “Aris “ Bagtas
Like the artist‘s name, “Bagtas “ in the Filipino language
literally means to walk the path. The journey for artistic
excellence of Aris Bagtas is overwhelmingly short and spiritually
guided.
In his recent works, his motif takes on a truly Filipino folk
sensibility, with the religious theme as the guiding and
controlling force.
In spite of his fame and recognition received by Bagtas from
critics and noted collectors both local and international, he
remained a loyal and devoted son of Obando (a town in the province
of Bulacan, a province populated by faithful followers of the
Blessed Virgin Mary’s powerful intercession) from which he draws
inspiration from. He has wisely stuck to his roots the question of
identity taking precedence in his continuing journey through life
and art.
His personal and artistic persona radiates to everyone who have
felt a metaphysical uneasiness from the divine.
Title: CONDO SCAPE SERIES XI (section)
Artist: Aris Bagtas
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 50cm x180cm
Year: 2010
Serafin “ Ted “ Maddela
I always appreciate the beauty and simplicity of nature and our
environment. To marvel at the beauty of a flower or wonder at a
beautiful landscape makes me happy every time I see it. Leaves,
flowers, trees and landscape makes our surrounding and daily life
colourful and wonderful at the same time. That’s why its vivid but
happy colours like green, red, yellow, blue and violet are shown in
my compositions.
I try to give life and meaning to these simple objects that are
sometimes neglected and taken for granted by people. The joy of
these beautiful but vibrant colours in my canvasses makes the
viewer remember how beautiful our world is and that these gifts
from God must be loved and appreciated.
Title: BANANA BLOSSOM
Artist: Ted Maddela
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 60cmx80cm
Bernadette Bueta
Womanhood is a perfect art. The expression of showing her beauty
and courage further enhances the idea that a woman is a candle that
lights up one’s home. The perfection of the female form is what I
try to show in every brush stroke, form and colour I compose. Her
unselfish & unconditional love to her family gave her strength
to overcome any obstacles in life. The power of love makes her
endure and persevere all hardship and pain within her family being
both a mother and a wife which makes her a powerful figure in our
society.
Title: WOMAN WEAVER
Artist: Bernadette Bueta
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Size: 80cmx60cm
Year: 2010
The Philippine National Shrine Of Our Lady Of Fatima in
Valenzuela City, Philippines
Monsignor Bart Santos of Bulacan approached artist Aris Bagtas
to make a study about the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima in a
church inValenzuela City, Philippines. Bagtas conceptualized the
mural for the altar and submitted it to Monsignor Santos.
“Portraying the beauty of the rice fields and agricultural scenery
of the Bulacan amidst the Sierra Madre mountains including the
bandera espanola flowers and the endangered species of the
Philippines will be a fitting background to the statue of Our Lady
of Fatima in a Philippine setting”, Bagtas said. The church
painting which started last Sept. 7, 2009 with apprentices Serafin
Maddela (who painted the Bandera Espanola flowers) and Bernadette
Bueta (who lent beauty to the trees, foliage and species of the
region) the mural was finished in a period of one month and was
unveiled last October, 10, 2009.
Amidst trials and hardships, the painting of the church of our
lady of Fatima remains to be a test of Bagtas’ undying faith and
love for God. Done at the same time of typhoon Ondoy’s wrath and
causing neck deep floods which ravaged Bagtas’ home and his quiet
hometown of Obando, Bulacan, it didn’t stop him from finishing the
church mural braving the floods from Obando to the Fatima church.
Wiping the tears from his eyes, armed with determination to finish
the task which God has set for him and his team, he believes this
shall pass and that there is hope after the rains. As in other
church murals that he has done in the past, he takes no forms of
payment for his church works and takes it as a way of thanking God
for all the blessings that abound him.
Bagtas also painted the mural Revolution of Faith ( 8ft x 30ft )
in the basement of the church as well as the mural of the 14
Stations of the Cross ( 6ft x 8.5 ft per station ) for the said
parish.
