Kalinga pyro artist inspires

Alejo Dagupon has found an interesting hobby in his old age.

Dagupon is Kalinga’s sole pyrography artist whose designs depicting the local way of life and sketches burned on wood by a pyrography pen has captured the fancy of locals.

Featured during the Tabuk city founding celebration, Dagupon says he rediscovered his hobby of sketching after his retirement from work, adding he has always loved to do art but was too busy when he was working.

Dagupon said when his wife passed away, he had to do something worthwhile and one day he met a relative with a son engaged in pyrography, and he got interested. So he started doing some research over the internet on how to do 2D wood carving and pyrography, and later he asked his daughter from Canada to send his first tools.

Orders for the pyro sketches started in 2017 when his daughter posted his work on social media, has since gotten a steady stream of orders.

Dagupon has been certified by the Department of Trade and Industry to help him sell his crafts to a wider market. With a report from Geraldine Dumallig, Tabuk City Information Office.