the language of colours

abstract art is a force to be reckoned with, but you either connect with it or you don't. Nunilon Arnold Bancaso, Jr.'s acrylic images made that emotional link to me through their bright colours and strong smudges, scratches and blothces.

born in baao, camarines sur, philippines, bancaso or osacnab - his signature, has always shown the influences of his cultural and historicaal roots and his vocation, on his works. the bright colours of baao and its festivals, from the pintakasi in august to the semana santa in april, to the flores de mayo and dotoc in may, have filled his artistic world with vibrancy.

today, he lives and teaches at the holy rosary minor seminary in naga city, in a hotbed of emerging art activity. though he grew up in the rural environs of nearby town baao, he is currently enthralled with shapes and colours that the subject of his latest works, evokes in him – the psalms and verses.

we all connect to art in different ways, and so of course i wondered why i was so intrigued with osacnab’s images. eventually i realized that my floral portrait designs matched up perfectly with his vibrant mixture of playful colours and textures, as well as his strong impressions and forms on his canvass.

the image above, for example, gives the impression of contradiction in the dark silhouette of the basilica with lights coming from inside, on a clear sky. it is both beautiful and mysterious. osacnab’s abstract paintings drew me in, yet i was pleasantly surprised with his architectural images of the basilica. this work is a nice combination of representation and abstraction, and i love how he managed to simplify a complex piece of architecture down to its purest form.

the images above show his kinship to bright colours. the texture he creates over the mixture of bright colours bring about dynamism in his works, one can imagine the hand movements that caused these impressions.

using colours as the universal language, he is also able to evoke unique emotions in us.

to explore more of his fascinating paintings and make your own personal connection to his works, mark 2 july 2011 on your calendar, when his solo exhibit opens at the cafe des artes, villa esperanza, san nicolas, baao, camarines sur, philippines.