A project of San Miguel de Mayumo Cluster USA Inc.
Eddie Estrada Santillan Jr.
ddie is a self-taught artist whose raw talent has been enhanced by his keen curiosity and the unique way he views the world. With a high degree of skills, he was able to produce very elaborate and detailed pieces of art. His personal growth is manifested in the evolution of his artworks. Starting as a portrait artist, he has produced work for a number of celebrities, art patrons, and politicians. He has supported the art scenes and other artists through his active involvement in art festivals and exhibits.
In his journey as an artist, he dabbled in the Filipino tradition of Social Realism as well as embracing Photo Realism. There is also an element of Art Nouveau, along with the highly decorative and mystical styles of artists like Gustav Klimt. There is also an interest in the art of the Middle East and the work of the Indian masters during the Indian Mughal Empire.
At present, armed with an expanded view of the world and a deeper understanding of people’s interconnectedness with each other and with all elements, his artwork shifts to non-representational/abstract. It depicts the fluidity of time and relationships as well as the structure that binds the elements together. His latest works speak of his life experiences. It’s a building of one layer of an image after another. These layers overlap, never really leaving the past behind but always looking forward to the future while being enchanted with the reality of the present. The candor with which he embraces life is translated in the transparency evidenced in his art. The history of his artworks is closely tied to the history of his life.
Check him on Facebook and Instagram to see more of his remarkable artworks.
NEPTALIE “RICO” AUNZO
eptalie Aunzo ANTIPOLO CITY, Rizal — His real name is Neptalie Aunzo. However, he is also known as Pedrong Masipag (literally translated as Industrious or Hard Working Peter), a moniker given to him after the main character of his paintings—the man dressed in Barong Tagalog, the national costume of the Philippines which is made out of piña cloth or jusi, a sheer fabric hand-loomed from the abaca fibers, something that is plentiful in the Philippines, especially in the Bicol More than a character in his paintings Pedrong Masipag is more than a fictitious character, Aunzo said; it is actually someone he wants to emulate. “Pedrong Masipag is clothed with Barong Tagalog for he is a decent person, with high morals and earns an honest penny through his hard work. He is also humble and has respect to all,” Aunzo said in an interview in his home studio in Tanay, a first-class municipality in the Province of Rizal. “Moreover, Barong Tagalog is also a symbol of elegance and being a respectable person,” he added. He created Pedrong Masipag, Aunzo shares, to counter the despicable character in one of the popular folklores in the country, Juan Tamad (Lazy John). “We Filipinos are a hardworking people. And we do everything just for the sake of our family,” this self-taught artist shared with this writer during the interview.
