Almost three weeks after Typhoon Tino, Cebu continues to rise. Slowly, stubbornly, beautifully. Across the island, homes are being repaired and lives pieced back together for who knows how long. In this landscape of recovery, the bayanihan spirit has taken an unexpected form in the hands of two Visayan artists.
Fresh from the Visayas Art Fair 2025, Maestro Anthony Fermin and artist and sculptor Anton Quisumbing partnered with Harley-Davidson Cebu. Their reimagined motorcycles, once sold, will directly support families affected by the typhoon.
‘Strings of Home’
Fermin’s piece was created in the middle of the storm, as winds battered Cebu and electricity flickered in and out.
“I worked on this even during the typhoon,” he said in an interview with SunStar Lifestyle during the exhibition held at its showroom on A.S. Fortuna St., Mandaue City, Cebu on Nov. 19, 2025. “From October, there was planning. I continued working through the storm until I finished it mid-November.”
Painting with urethane for the first time challenged him technically and emotionally. Urethane, a high-durability paint typically used in automotive applications, demanded a level of precision he wasn’t used to. “I was nervous because urethane allows no room for errors,” he explained. ‘Once the brush leaves the surface, you can’t erase it. You have to work in seconds, milliseconds, because it dries instantly.”
The result is “Strings of Home,” a visual narrative of Cebu’s identity. He incorporated symbols deeply tied to Cebuano life such as guitars, fire, local scenery and silhouettes of people into the bike’s body.
“The guitar represents Cebu’s heritage in guitar-making and our love for music,” he shared.
“The fire symbolizes light and strength, that we still stand despite everything.”
Landmarks like the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway, Magellan’s Cross and the Mactan Channel emerge within the design, woven delicately like whispered memories etched into paint.
“Cebu is known to be a very rich city that preserves the culture inherited from its forefathers,” shared Fermin.
For him, the title embodies faith and unity, yet the story does not end with the canvas. Behind the motorcycle lies a continuation of his vision, a parallel painting where the artist’s true voice thrives.
“If the canvas hangs on a wall at home, it belongs only there,” he explained. “But the painting continues on the bike. Wherever the rider journeys, they carry Cebu with them.”
Strings symbolize music, connection and community, according to Fermin. “God is protecting us. We have faith that God has been our great protector who always saves us from all the trials we are facing throughout the years,” he added.
Fermin’s paintings are known for their expressive, vibrant strokes, exploring themes of faith, transformation and Filipino resilience — fitting themes given the recent calamities. His artworks have been hung side by side with those of legends like Vicente Manansala, Jose Joya, Fernando Amorsolo and more.
‘The Da Vinci’
Quisumbing infuses classical art into modern engineering. For him, the project fulfilled a lifelong fascination with motorcycles and craftsmanship.
“As an artist, you always imagine how you want something to look,” he said. “It’s in our nature to customize, to express.”
His work, “The ‘Da Vinci’,” is inspired by Renaissance ornamentation, such as acanthus leaf scrolls seen in the Bible, cathedrals and churches. The homage to the Age of Enlightenment is even more visible in the gold engravings on the exhaust pipes.
He also chose olive green as one of the palettes for a symbolic reason: “Olive green is biblical. It represents hope, renewal and new beginnings,” he noted. “I am giving new life to the motorcycle.”
“Da Vinci’s drawings were precursors of the modern combustion engine — so this design is both a tribute and a bridge between eras.”
He wanted a union of old-world elegance and contemporary engineering: “I wanted something I had never seen — something I would personally want,” he said. “Carbon fiber combined with classical art. An homage between antiquity and technology.”
He believes this collaboration elevates both the motorcycle brand and Cebuano art. “This brings the motorcycle to a different level,” he said. “This opens doors for more collaborations between art and engineering.”
Quisumbing is a multidisciplinary artist and designer whose work spans painting, sculpture and installations, including miniature churches — notably a 2023 reconstruction of Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu using rubble from its collapsed bell during the 2013 earthquake.
Even as the storm swept through Cebu, these artists dismantled and rebuilt their creations, letting the chaos become part of the process. Through “Strings of Home” and “The Da Vinci,” Visayan creativity moves forward wherever it goes.
In this same spirit of movement and giving, #SunStarBayanihan mirrors their efforts in the community. The initiative connects those in need with those ready to help, using live updates, volunteer networks, and partner organizations to keep Cebu informed, connected and supported. With the SunStar Building in Cebu City serving as a drop-off point for relief goods, anyone reading this can join in, contribute or connect with the campaign.