USAPAN

Visual artist Monnar Baldemor and writer Kap Maceda Aguila first met in 1992 while working for the editorial team of a noted publishing group. The two bonded not just over closing pages but the joys of alternative music as well – sharing and discovering new tunes and musical genres. At one time, the two helped form a punk band, Paregoric, with Baldemor on bass, and Aguila on vocals and guitar.

The “Usapan” series was born from a curiosity to see how the written word could work within the colorful domain of Baldemor’s abstract paintings. “While Monnar’s paintings already provide snapshots of daily life and its intricacies, I wanted to give the viewer greater context – and insight – into what the subjects are thinking. More importantly, I wanted them to interact with each other,” says Kap.

Baldemor’s physical manipulations of these subjects are reminiscent of Spanish master Salvador Dali and Hieronymous Bosch of the Netherlands, while the detailed pen and ink strokes recall German painter Ernst Degasperi. Son of the prolific internationally known painter Manuel Baldemor, Monnar shares a preference for pastel colors – but forges a divergent path from the rural, festive landscapes of his father.
Monnar adds: “The text is an equally important of the painting. Rene Magritte, a Belgian surrealist painter, also employed the written word on some of his canvases.”

“I want to drive what Monnar’s paintings actually seek in the viewers: to pique their curiosity, to think about what we do as a people, and the moments that define us. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that there’s profundity and humor in the pedestrian. Like Magritte, Monnar asks us to be sensitive to them,” says Aguila.

Monnar, a University of the East-Caloocan Fine Arts graduate, has earned five Jurors’ Choice nods in the prestigious yearly art tilt of the Artist Association of the Philippines. He was also chosen as finalist in the Phillip Morris Group of Companies Philippine Art Awards. Baldemor has worked in the publishing field for almost two decades and maintained cartoon strips for various publications.

Kap has a BA in Communication (majoring in Journalism) from the University of the Philippines-Diliman. He completed his academic units at the same institution towards an MA in Communication (majoring in Communication Research). Kap writes for the Philippine Star and other publications, bowls, and now plays the drums.