Mendoza: Of ambigrams and paintings

Mendoza: Of ambigrams and paintings

ADORNING an abode with art pieces is nothing new, however, it’s still unusual to see framed ambigrams hanging on the walls.

Vic Navales, the man behind the famous Davao City-based Navales Foods, is not only a successful entrepreneur but also as an artist. He’s one of those who are fond of creating ambigrams, or a unique art form that amazes many people.

Navales explained that “An ambigram is a visual pun of word or words that can be read in more than one direction, upside down, mirror image or turn over mostly written in special calligraphic design. One example in its natural form is SWIMS. Turn it around 180° and it still reads SWIMS.”

Navales narrated that his love for ambigrams started as a challenge when he saw John Langdon's ambigram on "Angels & Demons,” a book by Dan Brown. His very first ambigram was his name, Victor, where when one flips it, it reads Navales. This first piece can be seen in all his paintings as it is the signature he uses. He shared that in a very short time, he got hooked with this form of art. He even had a tri-weekly column called "Ambigrams by Navales" with Sunstar Davao in the mid-2000s.

When it comes to his paintings, Navales said that he draws inspiration from almost everything around.

“Earth is so beautiful. God created a beautiful world. Most of the ugly ones, like miseries, are man-made. I want to paint this beauty for all to enjoy. Painting is creating,” he said.

It can be observed that his paintings have one common purpose – to bring a smile on the viewer's face because of the vibrant colors. As Navales would put it: his paintings carry one theme, which is to generate a “feel good feeling” among those who see them.

Despite being a busy entrepreneur, Navales still finds time to paint daily. He does it an hour in the morning before he starts working, and another hour at night, if there are no Zoom meetings or Netflix series that he has to attend to.

Amid the amazing pieces he already produced, Navales has an inspiring story to share. He started painting just three years and eight months ago because he was scared of holding a paintbrush. He could even remember how his friends “lovingly made fun” of his first painting of an apple, which according to them either looked like a guava or muntingia calabura (aratiles). Another one pointed out that it probably was an apple “but the cast shadow is durian.”

To the aspiring painters, Navales had this to say: “Guys, continue painting. It’s the only way to get better. Besides, it’s fun! For those who haven’t started painting yet, pick up the brush and put some paint on the canvas. Take up the challenge and you will be surprised! Be patient. Remember this: there is no ugly painting.”

If you have special events and fashion tips to share, or just want to discuss any fashion-related concerns with me, you are always free to reach me at mendoza.jennygrace@gmail.com. You may also follow Purple’s Nook on Facebook for more updates.

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