The Watercolor Society of Cebu’s (WSC) group show, “Tubig ug Kahayag,” turns the medium’s essentials — water and light — into a quiet celebration of memory, daily life and the approaching Christmas season.
Organized in collaboration with Nagkahiusang Sugbo-anong Pintor (NSP), the exhibit opened on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026 and will run until Sept. 26, 2026, at Black Smokehaus. The ribbon-cutting was led by WSC board members Aliver Escaño, Florentino Nimor, John Pabrua, Shaun Rodriguez and Vince Joaquino.
WSC president Eduardo Solana Jr. was in Manila competing in the 38th Kulay sa Tubig National Watercolor Competition.
Dual meanings behind water and light
Nimor said the title carries a deliberate double meaning: it nods to the dawn of life and the light of the Christmas season and it points to the technical heart of watercolor painting.
‘‘It actually also relates to watercolor painting, where the base is naturally water — the medium itself — and then light because all the subjects here relate to light since that’s what we actually observe, like the light source and things like that,’’ Nimor said.
During the opening, participating artists guided guests through the gallery, offering intimate insights into each featured piece. Highlights include Alex Gocotano’s ‘‘Simple Wonders,’’ Aliver Escaño’s ‘‘Glide,’’ Amay’s (Ricardo Carilimdiliman) ‘‘Salingsing,’’ Biboy Sinon’s ‘‘Rosario Against Three Dutch Corsairs’’ and Eduardo Solana Jr.’s ‘‘The Reflection.’’ Also on display are John Pabrua’s ‘‘Dunggo,’’ Kristine Angela Uy Kintanar’s ‘‘Azul Patagonia,’’ Queen Wei’s ‘‘Minalungao National Park,’’ Richard Romeo’s ‘‘Molded by Fate,’’ Ting Nimor’s ‘‘Relic of a Peaceful Tomorrow’’ and Zin Ortiz’s ‘‘Under the First''
Stories from the gallery floor
Gocotano said ‘‘Simple Wonders’’ was inspired by a photograph taken in his father’s hometown of Moalboal, Cebu.
‘‘It just so happened that I saw them playing with a plastic cup, constantly fetching water. I think the kids were actually bathing at the time, so aside from taking a bath and splashing around, it was really just so simple,’’ Gocotano said. ‘‘At the same time, the light source is really one of the things that caught my attention because, from here, you can see the contrast between cool and warm.’’
Romeo’s ‘‘Molded by Fate’’ pays tribute to traditional artisans who make their living through craft.
‘‘Sometimes we say, ‘I’d like to try pottery,’ or ‘I want to give it a shot,’ but these people were born to be potters. It isn’t just a casual interest for them — it is their way of life,’’ he said. ‘‘By fate, they are shaping what we consider a work of art, another form of artistic expression.’’ He added that the piece reflects the exhibition’s theme: clay formed by water and finished by heat and light.
By capturing fleeting reflections of everyday Cebuano life and coastal memories, ‘‘Tubig ug Kahayag’’ offers more than a technical display of watercolor mastery. It’s a proof of the local art community’s shared voice, where pigment, fluid strokes and luminous warmth converge to welcome the festive season.
‘‘It’s still about storytelling in another form. There are other branches of the arts, like literature or filmmaking, that are inherently about stories,’’ Nimor said. ‘‘But now, we come to realize that this isn’t merely casual sketching or simple doodling — it is another true form of storytelling.’’