Sining Lokal

 TRYP Hotel continues local art advocacy with Pintakha group exhibit

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

Four visual artists - with three dabbling in painting and one in sculpture - from the Pintakha (Pinta at Likha) Arts Society are featured in the two-month long exhibition at the TRYP Hotel in the SM Mall of Asia complex. The society was formed in 2017 to promote local artists and their individual expressions.

Nathaniel San Pedro, who sits as Pintakha's president, presented several local avian species in his acrylic on canvas works. He is known for his painting on birds, like his 4' x 3' obra "Ibong Adarna" that's displayed prominently at the exhibit area. Another of his works, "Wanderer (Barn Swallow), a 12" x 12" acrylic on canvas painting adorns the main dining hall. San Pedro has been painting full-time since 2019 and has been in 30 shows (both group and solo) here and abroad.

Simply dubbed "Sining Lokal - Closet Chronicles: A Kaleidoscope of Personal.Narratives," the exhibition features the works of Nathaniel San Pedro, Jan Michael "Mick" Barretto, John Infante, and Jeram "Japs" Apostol. All four budding artists are members of the Pintakha Arts Society, which has ten artist members, to date.

"Being truthful to TRYP's tagline, #PoweredByTheCity, Sining Lokal is a project that aims to highlight Filipino artists and craftsmanship. We, at TRYP by Wyndham, embrace the power of local art, as we believe exhibits are more than just empowerment for our local artists to express their voices; as they are also another way of appreciating and celebrating cultural diversity," intimated Dean Cid, chief operating officer and general manager of Phinma Hospitality, the entity that runs and operates TRYP and Microtel Hotels around the country.

27-year-old John Infante, who's the lone sculptor in the group, did not foresee himself having a career on visual arts, after graduating with his Architecture degree from the Far Eastern University. He started his artistic journey at the tender age of eight, winning an art contest, after creating a 12-foot Christmas tree, made from recycled trash. He collected, for three weeks, take out boxes of Mini-Stop chicken meals, then treated each one so it can withstand rain. From there, he started dabbling in aluminum wires where he molds interesting sculpted pieces like a gilded shoe ("Jordan 1"), a scene from a movie ("The Way of Water" - aluminum with coa, 35 x 40 x 25 cms), and a couple in a wedding proposal ("The Golden Moment" - 30 x 20 x 20 cms).

On the other hand, visual artist Jan Michael "Mick" Barretto delights the senses with his abstraction pieces splotched against a dark background. He started creating abstract works since 2020, employing the mixed media of impasto paint and gold leaf. As he wasn't good with faces, he opted to go for faceless 'stick humans' and adorned them in beautiful displays of color. His "Prima Ballerina" series of identically-sized paintings come in six versions, while his "Dancing Ballerina" pieces come in 20" x 20" sized frames done in mixed media.

"Sining Lokal does not only support local art, but also music and cuisine among others. Our guests will see, feel, and amplify the culture of Manila and the rest of the Philippines. This makes our guests as if they are locals. The TRYP brand has this initiative in any place where they are located around the world," intoned hotel manager Edison Gonzalo Rosales, who has been with the hotel since it opened in 2019.

"Our long staying guests come from nearby BPO offices, as well as convention sites like PICC, SMX, and the World Trade Center. Returning balikbayans, and OFWs returning to the provinces for a visit and/or those that fly back abroad and resume their work also stay with us," enthused Rosales.

Jeram "Japs" Apostol has been painting for eight years now, right after completing his AB in Animation degree from the College of Saint Benilde. He said it was his first time to try a black background from his usual beiges and browns. The 33-year-old visual artist revealed that he was into comic figures for six years before he tried doing abstract pieces. His 'Light' series, done with acrylic on a 16" x 16" canvas, is an interesting interplay of bright hues on a stark background.

Sining Lokal visual art pieces (paintings and sculptures) will be on display til late December at the 2nd and third floors of TRYP Hotel - around the lobby lounge, the Bebederos bar, and Milagritos restaurant. Art aficionados are invited to view the works during office hours.