Celso Pepito's Mangostain Paintings in Mindanao Art Fair

-
Parayeg, 11"x 8", Mangosteen stains/acrylic, 2024

                          

Celso Pepito’s use of mangosteen stain as an artistic medium is a rare and distinctive artwork that originated from his "Mangosteen Discovery," which occurred during his participation in the Mindanao Art Fair at SM Lanang in Davao City. Inspired by Davao's abundance of local fruits, the celebrated Cebuano visual artist experimented with the deep, rich pigments left behind by the fruit's rind. He subsequently integrated these natural organic stains into his paintings as a creative homage to the region.

The Medium: Pepito utilizes the persistent dark purple juices of the mangosteen fruit to create unique organic stains and layers on his canvases. This approach adds distinct earthy and plum-toned hues to his mixed-media compositions.

Signature Cubist Style: Despite experimenting with alternative materials like fruit stains, Pepito preserves his definitive modernist-cubist style, characterized by clean geometric lines and deliberate structures.

Core Motifs: His mangosteen stain artworks continue to carry his trademark symbolic elements, including the three planar divisions—which represent his devotion to God, family, and country—and a prominent octagon shape rising above the figures to symbolize hope.


Pamalandong, 11"x 8", Mangosteen stains/acrylic, 2024

Untapped Talen, 11"x 8", Mangosteen Stains/acrylic, 2024

Joyous Moments, 11"x 8", Mangosteen stains/acrylic, 2024


Popular posts from this blog

Glimpses of Old Cebu: Images of the Colonial Era

-
Image
"Glimpses of Old Cebu: Images of the Colonial Era" is a 276-page coffee table book of nearly 600 of the best photographs, postcards , stereoviews and lantern glass slides of Cebu and its many towns taken between 1870-1945. More than just a mere showcasing of rare, never-before-seen images, the book also provides a treasure trove of information accompanying nearly every picture. The author, Lucy Urgello Miller has been collecting vintage Philippine postcards and photographs for over 20 years, the thrust of her collection being Cebu . She acquired 90% of her Cebu collection in the United States where she is living with her husband Richard "Rick" Miller. Most of the collection was bought at antique postcards shows. Lucy has about 1,000 pictures and postcards on Cebu but she selected only the best and most interesting for this book. Mommy Gingging, Lucy and my wife Grace A blue-blooded Theresian, Lucy spent her entire education from kinder...
Read more

The Kudyapi- The Philippine Two-Stringed Lute

-
Image
The kutiyapi or kudyapi, is a Philippine two-stringed, fretted boat-lute. It is the only stringed instrument among the Maguindanao people, and one of several among other groups such as the Maranao and Manobo . It is four to six feet long with nine frets made of hardened beeswax . The instrument is carved out of solid soft wood such as from the jackfruit tree.   Common to all kutiyapi instruments, a constant drone is played with one string while the other, an octave above the drone, plays the melody with a kebit or rattan pluck (commonly made from plastic nowadays). This feature, which is also common to other related Southeast Asian "boat lutes", which were influenced by varying degrees by Indian concepts of melody and scale via the Malay archipelago .   Among the T'Boli , Manobo and other Lumad groups, the instrument (known as Hegelung, Kudyapi or Fedlung) is tuned to a major pentatonic scale . Among groups like the Bagobo , the Kutiyapi (Kudlung) is also used as...
Read more

Cebuano Artists Painting Collection- Celso Duazo Pepito

-
Image
The Will to Live 2021, ( Autostereogram )     When we look and appraise a painting by color deficient   Master artist Celso Duazo Pepito , one will immediately come face to face with a brilliantly made work of art.    He was born 54 years ago on the 22nd of November in Daan Bantayan , Cebu . He plunged into the world of art as a young man who showed special skills in lettering . He was surprised when he steps into the halls of the University of the Philippines that the fine arts course was after all about painting. His painting career soon took off soon after college.    There were years of facing struggles hurdling one trial after another. But, like college education, experience is considered as the best teacher. His paintings are known to contain imagery that is brought to life by crisp and clear lines, bold strokes and his usual usage of bright color scheming. But deep within his subjects are personal motives and intentions that come from hi...
Read more

Unbound Horizons- The Enduring Legacy of Kimsoy Yap's Proteges

-
Image
In the vibrant ecosystem of Cebuano art, the lineage of mentorship acts as the lifeblood of regional mastery. At the heart of this lineage stands Jose “Kimsoy” Yap Jr. , a towering figure in Philippine art celebrated for his ethereal command over watercolor, expressive landscapes, and meticulous use of line and space. Having studied under the legendary "Dean of Cebuano Painters," Martino Abellana , and later at the National Academy of Design in New York, Yap synthesized classical discipline with a modern sensitivity to light and atmosphere.  He belongs to the Cebu Siete , an elite group of seven Cebu-based master artists who have have found their way into the Manila market and other parts of the globe. The rest include Adeste Deguilmo , Fred Galan , Jun Impas , Mar Vidal , Celso Duazo Pepito and Orly Ypon . However, a master’s true magnitude is measured not only by his own canvases but also by the generations he inspires. Through his dedicated instruction and mentorship, Yap...
Read more

Whispers of Time- The Art and Vision of Tatz Lee

-
Image
  Tatz Lee  (Maria Carmen Lee) is a rapidly rising contemporary Filipino visual artist celebrated for her luminous landscapes and deeply spiritual paintings that serve as visual prayers . Balancing an early passion for music with fine art, she took up drawing in 2017 before transitionally adopting wet mediums like oil and acrylic by 2021. Today, her name is closely tied to evocative, soul-stirring oil, mixed media, and watercolor works that explore the themes of faith , hope , and divine creation - these contextualizes her artistic journey, signature themes, and growing legacy in the contemporary art world. In a frantic and heavily digitized world, art often serves as the final frontier for silence and reflection. Among the rising voices in contemporary Philippine art who masterfully cultivate this space is Tatz Lee . A painter who explicitly views her practice as an offering of gratitude to her faith, Lee has established a unique niche through landscapes that transcend physi...
Read more

Darby Vincent Alcoseba- ReimagIning Realism

-
Image
Vendors, Early Works in Watercolor Darby Vincent Alcoseba is a illustrious figure in the contemporary Philippine art landscape, bridging classical Cebuano ( Sugbuanon ) realism with a modern, global sensibility. Born on June 26, 1983, in Cebu City , Alcoseba belongs to a four-generation artistic dynasty that has heavily shaped Visayan culture. While he initially pursued an academic path far removed from canvas and pigment, his inherent lineage eventually caught up with him, prompting a dramatic pivot that established him as an internationally recognized master of realist and surrealist painting. The Weight of Artistic Heritage To understand Alcoseba’s art is to understand the legacy he carries. His great-grandfather, Jose Trinidad “Noy Peping” Alcoseba , was a founding member of the historic Cebu Art Association in 1936. Noy Peping had 3 children- Vidal Sr, Wigberto and Leo. Darby's father, Antonio "Tony" Alcoseba , son of Vidal Sr., is a revered master of watercolor wh...
Read more

Jose Mari Picornell- My Final Farewell to a Master

-
Image
Every city has a soul, but only a few chosen individuals possess the vision to capture it before it slips away into the modern landscape. For Cebu , that visionary was Jose Maria (Joe Mari) Picornell. Often hailed as the " Van Gogh of Cebu ," Picornell did not just paint landscapes; he immortalized the fading pulse of old streets, ancestral corners, and vanishing scenes. To the art world, he was a master of color and texture. To me, he was a gentle soul whose humility, vulnerability, and brilliant creative spirit left an indelible memory in my mind. Our story began with a chance encounter that felt entirely dictated by fate. I bumped into him at Ayala Mall , where he was carrying a few of his paintings. He cut a slightly dejected figure; he was supposed to meet a buyer but had just been stood up. Seeing the master standing there with his life's work in his hands, I introduced myself and asked if I could see the pieces. Right then, amidst the bustling mall crowd, I secured...
Read more