{"id":555,"date":"2020-03-24T06:00:37","date_gmt":"2020-03-24T06:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kublaiart.com\/?p=555"},"modified":"2020-03-24T07:43:56","modified_gmt":"2020-03-24T07:43:56","slug":"kublai-millans-triptych-a-visual-trip-to-mindanao-heartland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kublaiart.com\/?p=555","title":{"rendered":"Kublai Millan\u2019s \u2018triptych\u2019: A visual trip to Mindanao heartland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By:\u00a0Alma Cruz Miclat<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Philippine Daily Inquirer<\/a>\u00a0\/ 04:06 AM October 07, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
Kublai in Switzerland<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

And here is another, nay, not just any other Mindanao story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTwenty years of work in communities, provinces and cities made me see beauty in all its angles and I am sharing the journey with my audience,\u201d says Kublai Millan, the Mindanaoan sculptor and builder of monuments. He is, of course, well-known for his landmark giant works, Sultan Kudarat\u2019s \u201cKampilan\u201d in Maguindanao, the \u201cRisen Christ\u201d in the Tagum City\u2019s Christ the King Church, and the giant durian monument in the Davao International Airport, as well as a giant eagle and Bagobo children at the People\u2019s Park in Davao City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The maverick artist now entices us to take a trip to his beloved heartland through an alluring exhibit simply titled \u201cTriptych\u201d which opened Oct. 1 at Gallery Nine in SM Megamall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness series<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exhibit features three series of exquisite paintings only Kublai could create, deeply rooted as he is in the communities of indigenous peoples of Mindanao. His art is whimsical yet complex, mystical yet engrossing, and very colorful and vibrant reminiscent of colors and textures of Mindanao.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cProbinsaya\u201d series paints the exuberance of rustic life that incorporates Mindanao costumes, musical instruments, fish and animals. Meanwhile, the \u201cDalisaya\u201d series features pure joy, untarnished, just beholding Mindanao flowers and plants.
\u201cGalaktika\u201d is a series on universal joy, challenging the viewer to look higher and deeper into stars, galaxies and universes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kublai\u2019s art is contagiously happy, a contrast to the picture we usually make of Mindanao. For Kublai, all his gigantic monuments are inspired by his immersion in the communities, observing their ordinary lives, understanding their values and history, and in so doing, discerning their identity as a people in order to highlight their culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut all the sights I see and all the lessons I learn through these immersions with my people,\u201d he says, \u201cI could not possibly depict in the public monuments that I make. They are simply overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But who actually is Kublai Millan? How could he create so much?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
Agong House in Kapatagan<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Mindanaoan composer, performance artist and singer Maan Chua, says of her partner for 14 years, \u201cHe values time more than anything. For him, 24 hours is not enough to do all the art he wants to do in a day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut,\u201d she hastens to add, \u201cKublai always finds time to hug and kiss the family first thing in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kublai studied at University of the Philippines Diliman and returned to Davao City in 1999. There he at first worked as a graphic artist. Then, he started sculpting, and produced pieces he installed at his family-owned Ponce Suites Gallery Hotel in Do\u00f1a Vicenta Village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kublai got his first commissioned monument in 2002 from the provincial government of Sarangani for the newly constructed provincial capitol in Alabel. Kublai says, \u201cIn it, I highlighted the T\u2019boli people and their musical instruments and dance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many more landmark monuments followed, each one depicting a certain historical incident, like Typhoon \u201cPablo\u201d in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley in 2012. He built a memorial to the victims, and to uplift the spirits of the survivors. That was followed by \u201cCandle of Hope,\u201d in memory of the victims of Typhoon \u201cYolanda\u201d in 2013 erected on the site of a mass grave. At Surallah, South Cotabato, a roundabout depicted interfaith unity among Christians, Muslims and indigenous peoples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
Giant eagle in Davao<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Again, Chua says: \u201cHe is a visionary. He is generous and wants to help as many fellow artists as he could.\u201d He wants to create a sustainable and thriving Mindanao art industry. And he is starting to see his dream come true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mindanao Art Fair<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This month, the first Mindanao Art Fair will be held in Davao, thanks to a grant from the National Commission on Culture and the Arts through its National Committee on Art Galleries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
\u201cDalisaya\u201d<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe idea has been there forever,\u201d says the 45-year-old artist. \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019ve been setting up group exhibits in malls since 2012, when we set up the Artists Helping Artists group.\u201d To this end, they set up the Panag-abut Art Residency in September 2017 for art students and local artists. \u201cWe invited artists from Luzon and the Visayas, like Charlie Co and Manny Garibay. Following its initial success, we were inspired to go for a bigger gathering, beyond Davao City artists.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great ideas of a distinguished artist with a unique ability to seize the moment to produce works bound to be timeless. Kublai Millan! \u2014CONTRIBUTED<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: https:\/\/lifestyle.inquirer.net\/347594\/kublai-millans-triptych-a-visual-trip-to-mindanao-heartland\/<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By:\u00a0Alma Cruz Miclat\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Philippine Daily Inquirer\u00a0\/ 04:06 AM October 07, 2019 And here is another, nay, not just any other Mindanao story. \u201cTwenty years of work in communities, provinces and cities made me see beauty in all its angles and I am sharing the journey with my audience,\u201d says Kublai Millan, the Mindanaoan sculptor and 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Mindanaoan sculptor 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