Happy Birthday today to Elmer "Emong" Borlongan, one of Southeast Asia's most talented and dedicated painters, whom I believe is definitely a future National Artist of the Philippines.
This short bio-data of the artist is from canvas.ph: "Elmer Borlongan began his drawing and painting lessons under the inspired tutelage of Fernando Sena at the early age of 11. He took art courses at U.P. Diliman College of Fine Arts as a painting major, and won numerous awards in various painting competitions."
"He is included in the roster of the prestigious Thirteen Artist Awards (1994), and has represented the Philippines in various international art festivals. He was an Artist-in-Residence in ARCUS Ibaraki, Japan (1996)."
"His works are in the collections of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum and the Singapore Art Museum. He currently resides with his artist-wife Plet C. Bolipata in San Antonio, Zambales."
This work below is one of the Borlongan works in my collection.
Untitled
1993
Oil on Canvas
36 inches x 36 inches
I had bought this painting at the Finale Art File and Yamang Katutubo art auction on September 1, 2012 (Saturday afternoon 4 pm downwards) in Finale, Makati City, the Philippines. I was in my weekly Mandarin language class that afternoon from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm and was unexpectedly quite late for the actual bidding due to weekend traffic jam, but I had the day before surveyed all the art works available and I chose to put in a silent bid for this beautiful and unique masterpiece as well as on the auction date communicating via texts to the gallery.
Right after the auction, when I arrived late, I had met the owner of Art Verite Gallery Ms. Lori Juvida there, and I casually asked her which of all the works she considered the most beautiful in the auction. I didn't tell her I had bidded for any work. She replied that the most beautiful art work was the untitled Elmer Borlongan oil painting. I was very glad she shared my choice, because Lori Juvida is more the contemporary art expert and specialist, while I am just an ordinary art admirer.
Thanks also to the staff of Finale Art File for helping me clean this oil painting, before I eventually took it home.
Why do I admire this work of Elmer Borlongan?
The untitled oil painting strikes me so strongly with its uncomplicated rugged imagery and stark colors. There is a young man in shorts and white t-shirt sprawled on the ground, stretched out and recumbent beside a concrete and steel yellow/black arrow road sign in an urban intersection.
Was the guy just playfully resting on the cool floor for momentary relief? Was he exasperated with tiredness, despair, poverty, anger and/or angst amidst the bustle of the metropolis? Were his legs bent to stretch in preparation for a furious run or some other vigorous physical activity he's contemplating, or was it just his natural reflex to unwind his legs? What meanings or symbolisms, if any?
What are your ideas, views or interpretations of this interesting oil painting? Please comment or email.
(Photo below by Marc Lego of the painter Elmer Borlongan in San Antonio, Zambales, May 2012)
This Elmer Borlongan art work entitled "Magbubukid" by Elmer Borlongan, Pen and Ink on paper 10" x 7 3/4" (unframed), 2005, was the painter's generous contribution to the “Art for Humanity” charity online auction that was held via Facebook in December 2012 to raise funds to help victims of typhoon Pablo in Mindanao of southern Philippines.
Source of this story from online article by Susan de Guzman for Interasksyon.com of TV5 with this link http://www.interaksyon.com/lifestyle/art-for-humanity-on-facebook-artists-mount-art-auction-for-pablo-victims
This short bio-data of the artist is from canvas.ph: "Elmer Borlongan began his drawing and painting lessons under the inspired tutelage of Fernando Sena at the early age of 11. He took art courses at U.P. Diliman College of Fine Arts as a painting major, and won numerous awards in various painting competitions."
"He is included in the roster of the prestigious Thirteen Artist Awards (1994), and has represented the Philippines in various international art festivals. He was an Artist-in-Residence in ARCUS Ibaraki, Japan (1996)."
"His works are in the collections of the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum and the Singapore Art Museum. He currently resides with his artist-wife Plet C. Bolipata in San Antonio, Zambales."
***
This work below is one of the Borlongan works in my collection.
Untitled
1993
Oil on Canvas
36 inches x 36 inches
I had bought this painting at the Finale Art File and Yamang Katutubo art auction on September 1, 2012 (Saturday afternoon 4 pm downwards) in Finale, Makati City, the Philippines. I was in my weekly Mandarin language class that afternoon from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm and was unexpectedly quite late for the actual bidding due to weekend traffic jam, but I had the day before surveyed all the art works available and I chose to put in a silent bid for this beautiful and unique masterpiece as well as on the auction date communicating via texts to the gallery.
Right after the auction, when I arrived late, I had met the owner of Art Verite Gallery Ms. Lori Juvida there, and I casually asked her which of all the works she considered the most beautiful in the auction. I didn't tell her I had bidded for any work. She replied that the most beautiful art work was the untitled Elmer Borlongan oil painting. I was very glad she shared my choice, because Lori Juvida is more the contemporary art expert and specialist, while I am just an ordinary art admirer.
Thanks also to the staff of Finale Art File for helping me clean this oil painting, before I eventually took it home.
Why do I admire this work of Elmer Borlongan?
The untitled oil painting strikes me so strongly with its uncomplicated rugged imagery and stark colors. There is a young man in shorts and white t-shirt sprawled on the ground, stretched out and recumbent beside a concrete and steel yellow/black arrow road sign in an urban intersection.
Was the guy just playfully resting on the cool floor for momentary relief? Was he exasperated with tiredness, despair, poverty, anger and/or angst amidst the bustle of the metropolis? Were his legs bent to stretch in preparation for a furious run or some other vigorous physical activity he's contemplating, or was it just his natural reflex to unwind his legs? What meanings or symbolisms, if any?
What are your ideas, views or interpretations of this interesting oil painting? Please comment or email.
***
(Photo below by Marc Lego of the painter Elmer Borlongan in San Antonio, Zambales, May 2012)
***
Below in this image from pep.ph of the home of the topnotch ABS-CBN 2 newscaster and TV/radio journalist Karen Davila of the Philippines, I noticed a unique and big oil painting of Elmer Borlongan on the wall of her beautiful living room. Karen Davila has good aesthetic taste!
This image below is the 2006 pastel study "Convoy" by Elmer Borlongan for a future work, and the final oil painting version is now in the living room of Karen Davila. Image sourced from daphne.ph, the personal blog of tv host & producer, businesswoman Daphne Oseña Paez.
This is what Daphne wrote about this work below: "And Elmer donated his work from 2006. He said he didn’t have enough time to paint something new that fit our theme “Play” so he gave a drawing from his archives. Convoy, Pastel on paper, 16.5 x 23 inches, 2006. (Apparently the original painting of this is owned by Karen Davila). It currently has the most bids among the lot...."
The auction Daphne was referring to was the "UNICEF Auction for Action" from October 1 to 7, 1012. Elmer Borlongan and his artist-wife Plet Bolipata donated various art works 100% for the benefit of kids in the Philippines.
***
Another Elmer Borlongan work sold in the 2009 Ateneo Art Auction was entitled the 2009 "Study for Big Brother", Charcoal on paper, size 41 x 29 cm. I had bought it as my first ever purchase of a Borlongan art work. That study eventually was made into an oil painting entitled "Big Brother".
This oil work (image shown below) was exhibited in September 2009 at the Biennale of Chianciano in Tuscany, Italy. Organized by the Museum of Art of Chianciano Terme, the Biennale of Chianciano is a 2,000-square-meter exhibition that brings together the most talented emerging and established contemporary artists from all over the world.
Before the oil painting was exhibited in Italy, the 36×36-inch oil on canvas painting was on view from August 1 to 5 at the 1/of Gallery in Serendra, Fort Bonifacio Global City, then auctioned. A prominent businessman and art collector won the bidding for this oil painting. Proceeds from the sale benefitted Canvas, Fernando Sena’s Art Discovery and Learning Center, Casa San Miguel Foundation, and the Silangan Foundation for the Arts, Culture, and Ecology.
Fernando Sena is the former art teacher of Elmer Borlongan.
Fernando Sena is the former art teacher of Elmer Borlongan.
Image below of the "Big Brother" painting sourced from flickriver.com.
***
This Elmer Borlongan art work entitled "Magbubukid" by Elmer Borlongan, Pen and Ink on paper 10" x 7 3/4" (unframed), 2005, was the painter's generous contribution to the “Art for Humanity” charity online auction that was held via Facebook in December 2012 to raise funds to help victims of typhoon Pablo in Mindanao of southern Philippines.
Source of this story from online article by Susan de Guzman for Interasksyon.com of TV5 with this link http://www.interaksyon.com/lifestyle/art-for-humanity-on-facebook-artists-mount-art-auction-for-pablo-victims
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