“KABAHIN,” a group exhibit at SM City Cebu by three artists from Butuan “is meant to show our life experiences—based on our belief—Filipino traditions and celebrations, and the concerns of our current time, and to share them with the viewers.” This is according to two of the exhibiting artists, Goy Candelario and Resty “Jun” Sala of the group called Kwadrado. The third exhibiting artist, Ronald “Ronnie” Rudinas, was still on his way to Cebu at the time of the interview; while the fourth member, Cris Tamis, could not make it due to pressing concerns in his home city.

Kwadrado is a Butuan-based organization that, Goy explained, “is an offshoot of a small group of artists in high school who, in our college years, created a group that would be our umbrella for visual arts promotion. Kwadrado, for us, represents an art frame for our creative endeavors. We would like to share our personal point of view based on our culture and the issues in our current times which we depict in art, such as climate change.”

Resty emphasized that “while our environment and nature around us are still in existence, climate change might make them all disappear...”

For Resty, spontaneous realism is how he calls his art “based on family traditions and values, and the inner space of the individual.” Goy’s subjects are varied, including environmental themes and beautiful religious portraits including one portraying the capital letter J with Jesus entwined in the letter.

Ronnie chooses to express his art through his own brand of cubism. Nature, and the environment around the artist’s home place, was very evident in the exhibit—particularly paintings of birds, which stood out in the many canvases that were showcased— as well as religious themes and the everyday Butuanon life.

“Kabahin,” held June 6 to 21 in SM City Cebu, was not just sharing the artists’ point of view; it was also a sharing for a cause as part of the sales of the exhibit would go to the construction of Tabor Hill College.

The group exhibit was brought to Cebu by Fr. Renel Cabag, OAD, partly to showcase the artistic talents of Butuanons, and also to help make Tabor Hill College reality.