Paglaum Series (Muted Voices)
This project is a work in progress. It was conceived a long time ago but unable to find a better medium to communicate it. I have done these sketches and ink on paper transfers when I was in my fourth year theology at Loyola School of Theology two year ago. Its inspiration came from my early college years at Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City when i was a volunteer (together with my Christian Life Community friends) at Balay sa Gugma (Agape House) Streetchildren Foundation. My three-year volunteer work there had a tremendous impact in my vocation and in my art. I feel compassionate towards these abandoned and neglected children. At their young age, they are already exposed to brutality, vices and pain. Yet they are a challenging lot. Just like in Balay sa Gugma, many institutions are helping them but the lure of the street's carefree and loose life tempts them to jump off the fence of disciplined life in the shelters. Despite this ambiguous stance towards them, there are success stories. One of them is Rodney Valeja. I heard from some of the former staff that through the help of the German volunteers, he succeeded in his life and is now a medical doctor. I hope we will meet someday and listen to his wonderful journey.
The impetus of working on it again started when I had a First Friday Mass last December 2010 with the Grade Six students of Zapatera Elementary Public School. During the homily, I asked them to write their hopes and prayers to God and they offered them to God at the altar as part of our offertory procession. When I read them, I was moved by their sincere and simple hopes to God. Then, all things fall into place--the mixed media artwork on muted voices of hope finally completed.
As a work in progress, i hope to do an exhibit just exhibiting faces of these children and these handwritten hopes.
Labels: muted voices, paglaum series
posted by jason k. dy, sj at 11:19 AM
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