Zapphire Benedikt Jayme- Cebuano Pop Art

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ArtPortalCebu understands that there is never one born as an artist, as one's artistry is nurtured with much dedication and determination before it reaches  recognition. Thus, for the incoming Visayas Art Fair, ArtPortalCebu is proud to showcase the works of  an up and  coming artist ...


ZAPPHIRE BENEDIKT JAYME

As one of its invited exhibitors.

The proliferation of social media has given easy access to anyone who wishes to make research in any subject that tickles one's personal interests.  From politics, economics, cooking, dancing, or even music, almost everything is just a click away, and then the opportunity to learn can be attained without much hassle - almost for free.


One subject of interest that can be considered as an "in thing" in this internet age is the art of painting. With the help of Google, YouTube or Facebook, anybody has access to a treasure trove of information about renaissance art, impressionism, cubism, expressionism, including even the contemporary mode of painting.

But tinkering an art portal online is not enough for one's artistic journey. And not all of those who want to express themselves in painting can just become an instant artist. Most often than not, they will pass through many challenges before they can be considered as part of a creative community. Others will opt to shelve their talents and prioritize other things because of fear or lack of opportunity to meet people that could help them attain their artistic goals. In reality, engaging oneself in the creation of art, needs discipline, dedication and determination. Above all, it involves defining one's artistic direction so as to identify what art community is the perfect fit for them. 

For Zapphire, the art of painting is an innate gift that started early in her life.  She discovered her creative talent when she decided to decorate the wall of her apartment with art. Her visit to the mall to look at appropriate artworks that will fit on her walls ended up as mere window shopping since she found most of them expensive. So, instead of going  home empty-handed, she decided to buy art materials, and started painting her wall. That was way back in the year 2012 - when she realized that indeed, God has bestowed her the talent to paint. But like many before her, it took many years before she took it seriously. The lack of exposure to art exhibits and the lack of people who could  guide her were negative factors that prolonged her unmindfulness about the importance and richness of her creative prowess. Though, Zapphire is a strong willed woman,  she needed much motivation to  properly nurture her artistry and that brought her to another aspect of her life: drug abuse. As a result, she gradually abandoned her aspirations and goals in life and ended up being addicted to prohibited substances. Through her struggling days, she thought that everything was lost and that her life was a wasted opportunity. But thankfully, for Zapphire, giving up was not an option. Thus, she pushed herself so hard to refocused on attaining her life's goal in relation to her role in society. Her intention to reconnect to the mercy of the  Divine, made her acknowledge her frailties and she decided it was time to out her life back on track. 

With so much belief in her talent, in 2019, her father advised her to enroll in one of Celso Duazo Pepito's Art Workshops in Cebu. That artistic encounter, was the motivating factor and turning point for Zapphire to finally find her way unto the realm of artistic productivity. Pepito's continuing mentorship of her, has deeply motivated her to patiently hone her skills, aspire for artistic excellence, and challenge herself to dig deeper into the kind of artistic direction she wants to pursue. To further develop her skills, and sense of confidence, Pepito has introduced her to members of Cebu Artists Incorporated, invited her to join exhibits organized by the group and advised her to mingle with other active Cebuano painters and that provided her with the precious opportunity  to attain deeper artistic learning.

Motivated by the works of Andy Warhol, Zapphire is adventurous and manifests smartness in her work. She is more at ease with painting women, especially, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, but interprets as well, other widely recognized people around the globe. She is deeply fascinated with painting different women's faces, with variety of  facial expressions that connote beauty and power. Her art seems simple but evokes strength and stability. Her artworks are fully defined with acrylics as her main medium, and provides additional visual dimensions with the use of textures and broad brush strokes. She knows her limit, but eager to explore what is beyond them. 

In a span of ten years, Zapphire hopes to attain more artistic knowledge, gain more confidence, and launch more exhibits in both local, national, and international exhibition platforms. With the possibility of trips abroad for more exposure, she aims at enriching her innate artistry to make her Maker please that she has made the most of the gift that was given her.


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