Art Beat: focus on the Philippines

DUBAI , UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – July 13 , 2016 : Susan De Guzman, an artist and graphic designer at her apartment in Dubai. (Pawan Singh / The National)

As part of an ongoing series on emerging artists living in the UAE that I began for The Art Blog this summer, I interviewed Susan Villanueva de Guzman. She is a teacher of graphic design at Sharjah Women’s College – Higher Colleges of Technology and in her art, she tells the stories of her native Philippines. She features inspirations as disparate as tribal tattoos, festivals and the general happy spirits of her nation.

Q: How long have you been in the UAE and why did you come?

I came to the UAE in 1993 for work in an advertising company in Abu Dhabi. I moved here with my children who were growing up so we can be as one family.

Q: How do you describe your artistic style?

I would say that I am heavily influenced by the impressionist of the 19th century but I am also a contemporary artist of the 21st century. I am inspired by the Western masters as well as Raul Isidro who is an abstract Filipino artist and Vicente Manansala, the father of Cubism in the Philippines. My approach is not traditional, because I would like people to reflect on my art. I work to create art that talks about learning, history and celebration of cultures.

Q: Does teaching graphic design impact your choice of style?

Graphic design as a career is very different in what I do as an artist. They are two separate specialisations. However, graphic design allows me to take care of my own branding when I have an exhibition and allows me to remember when to stop in every painting I make.

In my art, the two different worlds are connected through the use of vivid colours.

Q: Do you take inspiration from your surroundings in Sharjah?

I am based in Dubai but I work in the University City, Sharjah. As an artist and design educator, I am always aware of my boundaries. I have always known that limitations should not be a barrier to create. I respect the rules, culture and tradition of this country and the influence of the Sharjah community has been very strong because my work is mostly non-figurative.

Q: You focus on Filipino traditions and culture - why is that an important aspect of your art?

All my work talks about the Philippines; it is a way for me to connect to my cultural heritage and to share it with everyone. My work deals with symbolism and I use a lot of texture, brush strokes and strong colours. There are so many stories to share, information to learn and history to impart and I want to share the happiness of our nation too. I am hoping that when I leave the UAE, my paintings will remain here because the UAE is my second home.

Q: Your recent show for Philippines National Day focused on tribal tattooing in the Philippines, why did you choose this subject?

The Kalinga tribe, also known as the Pintados (Painted Ones), is a tribe in the Cordilleras region who are still utilising traditional methods of tattooing. The Pintados celebrate the strength of their people on their skin. Each line applied on their bodies reveals stories unique to the individual. This collection of work celebrates the Kalinga tribe and their stories, as well as their strength, overcoming influence from other nations.

I owe this inspiration to my daughter Patricia Zyrinn Villanueva de Guzman who is a jewellery designer based in Canada. She told me about Pintados and a lady called Maria Whang-Od who is now aged in her late 90s. She has dedicated most of her life to tattooing and is widely known as “the last Kalinga tattoo artist”. I started doing my own research and both myself and my daughter were both fascinated so we worked on a joint project about it that is still ongoing.