Kamingaw: An Impressionist Portrait of the Bisaya Painter, Matino A. Abellana

By Raymund L. Fernandez (Author)

Quick Overview

Kamingaw is a word in Binisaya with a complex of meanings, from loneliness to solitude and, more specifically, longing for someone, some place, or some moment in time. It is not always used to mean wishing for something that is not there yet. But that is particular meaning which guides this book's writing.Kamingaw: An Impressionist Portrait of the Bisaya Painter Martino A. Abellana is the first book to be ever written solely on Abellana, the most recognized and celebrate Cebuano painter. But what was his impact on Cebu? What is importance to history in general and that of fine arts?This book attempts to answer these and many more questions by tracing the life of the artist and exploring his art as it grew and evolved over time. It presents this in narrative form with faithful digital photography of many of his paintings, some of them uncatalogued and hitherto unexposed to the public.Kamingaw also attempts to trace Abellana's pedagogy. Together with the artists of his generation-- Julian Jumalon, Vicente Yap Sr., Carmelo Tamayo, and others who studied in Manila before World War II-- he introduced to Cebu the "Academic Style" of painting.This seminal volume also presents a close personal reading of Abellana both as artist and teacher of many Cebuano painters who were interviewed by the author. This includes as well the observations of a particular person, the writer, who was also his student and an artist as well.This book is not written without his bias, But the bias is with purpose made readable in the text itself.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Raymund Lozada Fernandez studied under Martino Abellana at the Fine Arts Program of Up College Cebu starting in 1976. In 1984, he joined Abellana as a co-teacher under the program. Today, Raymund holds the rank of Professor 2, handling courses in techniques, art history, and theory both in the Studio Arts and Product Design Programs.In the tradition of old school Bisaya, Fernandez has several engagements in various disciplines including the field of essays, and has produced research outputs for such institutions such as Up College Cebu, the Union of Catholic Asia News, where he has a regular column entitled Kinutil. this book is his first opportunity to work with the University of San Carlos Press (now called USC Publishing House),Raymund was born on 9 May 1955. He is the fifth son of Consuelo Lucero Lozada and Venancio Jakosalem Fernandez. In between his teaching duties, he also paints, sculpts and design books, working on several projects with Estela Ocampo-Fernandez, to whom he is married. Together they have three children: Isagani Isla, Linya Julia, and Elias Leon.