Religious-themed artworks celebrate our faith and the distinctiveness of religious experience.

In this light, “Bulawanong Pagtuo” is a solo exhibit of paintings by artist Cesar Castillo, done in tribute to the Santo Niño de Cebu and also in celebration of the Sinulog festival.

Castillo dreamt of studying fine arts to cultivate his invaluable skills in the visual arts but due to financial reasons, it did not push through.

However, he never gave up on his passion and because of his persistence, he started painting when he retired from San Miguel Corp. His wife, who is also an artist, supported him.

The exhibit “Bulawanong Pagtuo,” which loosely translates to “Golden Faith,” is Cesar’s simple way of showing his filial love and devotion to the Holy Child. He does one painting per day during the novena, nine consecutive days of petitions and devotional praying every year. Before he paints, he prays and reflects in deep contemplation, as it is the Sto. Niño’s way of giving directions to perfect his craft.

The exhibit was launched on Jan. 7, and held at the lobby of Golden Prince Hotel.