LITTLE children can come up with the most interesting art works. With their colorful imagination, it is noteworthy to see how scenes and images, which they innocently concocted in their minds, come to life on paper using pencils and crayons.
In this recent exhibit of art works, however, little children appreciate the creativity of architects, not on tracing paper or project blueprints, but on framed canvas and paper. The art works brighten not just the days of these children who have ailments, knowing that they have people on their side as they face big challenges in their young lives.
“Strokes 2.0” is the second watercolor exhibit organized by the Arkisketchers Cebu, which is a group of Cebuano architects who share a common interest for sketching and water color paintings. The month-long exhibit at the Gallery of the BIG Hotel in Mandaue City, Cebu was for the benefit of the children of the Cancer Warriors Foundation, truly a heartwarming revelation of the architects’ gentle side.
Arkisketchers Cebu is composed of architects who thought of forming a group during a conference of the United Architects of the Philippines because of their shared interest in manual sketching. Since then, they have gone around Cebu, creating colorful artworks of buildings and the daily scenes that define Cebuano life.
The architects who displayed their creations were Anthony Abelgas, Ryan Anthony Cabanlit, Panfilo Castro Jr., Bryan Dela Rosa, Fred Galan, Augusto Lee, Jenny Miala, Josephril Partosa, Clint Denver Ponsica, Ray Racho, Ezra Rama, Ferdinand Tiro, Ramon Vios and Richie Vios. They are all thankful for all their blessings especially in their professional careers that they also are in unison when it comes to the need to give back and share their blessings.
“Collectively, we take pride in our abilities to create things artistically... and what better way to appreciate all those blessings than to share it with others. As young parents, we are deeply affected seeing other parents our age with a three-year-old kid with cancer... sometimes as young as six months, already diagnosed,” shares Loloy Castro, who is among the main spearheaders of the event.
The group is looking forward to a “3.0” next year, and eventually making this event a yearly thing. However, their goal this year, Loloy says, is to launch a coffee table book containing all their works since they started going around Cebu to sketch and paint. Best of all, they are eager to continue drawing inspiration from little kids with cancer and hope that through their own works, they also help paint a colorful future for these children. It may not necessarily translate to making artists out of these young warriors but these architects are bent in keeping their vibrant hopes and imaginations alive.