Epoxy Art and its Philippine Royalty (Davao City)

"Unity", 41" x 41", epoxy on canvas. 

The pieces catch your attention. They glimmer from a distance, and upon closer observation, they look priceless. Gold, after all, is the hue worn by royalty. Speaking of royalty, these pieces hail from the genius of Lamberto "Obet" Acyatan billed as the "Grandfather of Epoxy Art". This surprised me. I've never heard of such medium. It's easy to disregard the idea, but proof of its valid existence and beauty were gallantly displayed at Felcris Centrale one morning.

My favorite would be the wall displays laid out like a tapestry. If you didn't know any better, you'd think they're a product of some Aztec master work or some holy Hindu relic. The designs reek with exoticism.

Aside from the wall displays, carved figures stand with faces on them; petals, faces, branches and vines. There's a clenched fist somewhere and, hold your breath, a penis spewing what seemed like grains. And wasn't this male genital resting on a vagina? The art fascinates. The other stand alone objects infact seem like phallic objects.

As it turns out, these pieces weren't inexpensive. Not by a long shot. Most of them individually fetch between PhP28,000 ($631.60) to PhP35,000 ($789.50). Good art is never cheap.

Liner notes reveal that Acyatan hails from the woodcarving town of Paete, Laguna, where he grew up. He creates forms and these become identities of boats bearing his medium. Acyatan is currently based at the Eden Art Center in Bayabas, Toril, Davao City. He paints and blogs, and features his poetry therein.

It fascinates me no end that an object as seemingly artless as an epoxy could be used to create such beautiful pieces. I take my hats off to Mr. Acyatan who creates these spellbinding masterpieces. During this exhibit, we were told we could take photos, and we're only too glad to introduce "Epoxy Art" to those who find their way here while navigating the web. I am in no position to discuss the medium, but I shall let the photos speak for themselves.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

"Cultural", 48" by 48", epoxy on canvas, PhP30,000.

Genitalia finds its way to epoxy art.

The head figures mostly wear a gear, scarf, etc. they must be inspired by folks from indigenous tribes.

Phallic