Exhibit spotlights Ivatan culture, young artists

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) featured young visual artists from the archipelago of Batanes and their works in an exhibit at its NCCA Gallery in Intramuros, Manila.

This was not the first time that NCCA featured artists from the Philippines’ northernmost and smallest province, the traditional home of the Ivatan people. In June 2021, NCCA Gallery mounted Raywen kan Hamyan (Summer and Winter), featuring the works of 16 artists of the Hangtay Artists Group, depicting Ivatan way of life and the relation between people and their environment with the changing of the seasons as central motif.

This time, “Classics and Ivatan,” which ran from 9 to 30 June, featured six artists — Jerish Alcoy, Rhodelyn Come, Lloyd Mina, Marrel Pajanil, Jhai Portez, and Vorz Portez — from the Yaru nu Artes Ivatan, an artist collective based in Batanes, and visual expressions of their culture and identity.

Rhodelyn Come's 'Wakay Ivatan' (watercolor on Arches paper, 29 by 36 inches, 2024) Fellow artist, Guilbert Bongay, said the works reflected the distinct cultural heritage of the people of Batanes.

“The compelling brushstrokes whisper what words cannot — stone houses braving typhoons, vakul and kanayi woven with patience, and the quiet strength of yaru, where community moves as one,” he said. “Each canvas contains these relics that carry the remarkable stories passed down from generation to generation.”

“In every hue and texture lies a culture that endures — unshaken, unyielding, and beautifully, unmistakably Ivatan,” he further said.

Curated by artist Wilfredo Offemaria, the exhibit — described by the NCCA as offering “a unique glimpse into Ivatan cultural memory and expression” — marked a rare moment when the ethnolinguistic group presented their creativity with a national cultural institution. It is the group’s way of pushing for art as a sustainable and eco-friendly approach in supporting and promoting their culture.

Apart from the visual arts, the group also undertakes fellowship in other art forms such as literature and performing arts. The NCCA said “its members — passionate young artists — also engage in teaching, community support, and collaborations with local and visiting creatives.”

Among those who attended the opening ceremony were NCCA executive director Eric Zerrudo and former Batanes congressman Florencio Abad who represented the Jorge, Aurora, and Pacita Abad Memorial Foundation Inc.

In his speech, Abad, who also held various government positions and one of the most successful Ivatan in the field of public service, stressed the need to support and foster the Philippine cultural memory and artistry.

The program also included the performance of a laji, the traditional lyric song of the Ivatan, by Jennifer Cielo from Sabtang Island. Janizah Fuentes from Basco, the provincial capital, sang songs in Vatan.

Offemaria shared his insights on the curation process, while Come, representing Yaru nu Artes Ivatan, related their journey of bringing the works from Batanes to Manila.