Committed to be a wife and a mom first, she willingly put on hold her artistic journey.
With no regrets, Janet Arboleda-Ballecer built a happy home and was contented in life, but fate had other plans. Right after the passing of her mother something in her awakened. In her longing, she sought comfort and refuge by recreating her mother’s image and loving vibe. Once again, she bared her soul and lost herself in the layers of colors she blended and layered on canvas. She posted it online and to her surprise, an audience responded warmly and welcomed back her art. That rekindled her passion. She picked up where she left off and, with her first solo exhibit, she’s now a mom on a roll with paint brush in hand.
Tony&Nick: It is said that yours is a “rediscovered talent”? How did that happen?
Janet Arboleda-Ballecer: I was a 1992 graduate of Bachelor of Fine Arts, major in Advertising, in the Far Eastern University. Then, I worked as a t-shirt designer for almost four years. But in 1994, I got married and had a child. And due to big responsibilities of being a wife and a mother to my only child, who at that time needed to be given a full attention, I stopped working and had been a full-time homemaker. I stopped being an artist by then.
In 2010, when my mother passed away, I became so eager to paint that I wanted to compose an art representing me and my mother in abstract. I made a piece that got many likes and comments in social media. It woke me up and made me realized that “I am an artist.”
From 2016 and then on, being rediscovered by my Batangueño group, I became an active member of the Pintakha Art Society and KUNST Filipino (Kapatiran at Ugnayan ng Natatanging Sining at Talento) where I participated in numerous group exhibitions, exhibits and workshops for various causes, and art competitions.
Professionally, I started my career as a painter in 2016 when a common friend called me and said that Sir Lino Acasio, my mentor, a master of landscape art, will be rebuilding the Grupo Sining Batangueño. So I reached out to him and he instantly included me as one of its new members. November of the same year, we had our first group exhibit held in the Batangas Port Area in cooperation with the Batangas Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office, and that started it all for me.
For the next two years I’ve had 32 group exhibits in Batangas and in Manila, including a three-woman show held in SM Megamall. I’ve also participated in several art workshops, art festivals, art mural, and art outreach. I have shared in four art-for-a-cause exhibits locally (Cancervants.ph, Cancervants Batangas Chapter, Kulay Kids and Ruth Foundation), and three Global Art-for-a-cause exhibits (Twitter art exhibits) held in London UK, Australia and now in Scotland.
Your first solo show finally opened this May. Was it something long planned? Or was it an opportunity that fell on your lap and you went for it?
Because of what I had contributed in the art scene, I was convinced by my co-artists to have my very first solo show this year and they made me realized that now is the time for me to “fly.” My good friend Nante Carandang, founder of Pintor Kulapol in Tuy, Batangas, drip artist and Guimaras mango painter, introduced me to Adamson University Cultural Affairs Office, headed by Neth Dimapilis, and gave me a slot at the Adamson University Art Gallery. For my very first solo show, I prepared 40 pieces of artworks in the span of five months.
Why does the title “Hope for the Flowers” mean? What do you expect from your audience to take away from your first solo show?
Hope for the Flowers is actually the title of a book, written by Trina Paulus, and released way back in 1971. It tells of a story of the two caterpillars that wanted to belong to others, but they never realized that someday they could really fly. This story is partly about life, partly about revolution, and a lot about hope and love that represents my everyday life. Being a “rediscovered” visual artist, I just wanted to belong. I only wanted to take part as a member of my art groups so I could improve as an artist. I also want to inspire the younger generations who are also dreaming of becoming one. But then, I never imagined that someday my time for me to become a butterfly will come.
(From my first solo show) I wanted to spread positive messages of hope, happiness and healing. In every glimpse on my art pieces, I wanted to remind them that we’re only humans that it’s okay to feel the joy and the pain of our ups and downs in our everyday lives. Just always think happy thoughts and that will make everything right. My butterflies are deep and powerful representation of life and that in every flight, we transform, we grow, and we elevate emotionally and spiritually.
Please tell us more about your technique. How does it set you apart from other visual artists?
I developed an innovative method of applying coffee, alcohol, liquid soap and fluorescent acrylic colors, as well as other mediums like Versatex Paints to highlight textures as applied to my paintings. My subjects explore my womanhood through visual representation of butterflies, nature, and women that positively highlight my roles as a woman, wife, mother, and as an artist. My individuality, as captured in my art pieces, makes me different from other visual artists.
In your first solo show, you were introduced as a Batangueña artist. How much of your regional roots relate to you as a visual artist? And how does the Batangas art scene look right now?
As a Batangueña artist, I see to it that every art piece that I create represents virtues of a true Batangueña: strength, compassion, beauty, goodness, and boldness.
Through the effort of my senior colleagues in Grupo Sining Batangueño (GSB) like: Lino Acasio, GSB founder/Chairman Emeritus; Bill Perez, Project Coordinator; and Virgilio Cuizon, adviser, Vice Chairman and head Visual Arts at Batangas Culture and Arts Council; in cooperation of Batangas Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO) and with the support of Gov. Hermilando Mandanas, the province of Batangas had been successfully promoting Art appreciation and workshops through their yearly activities in their “Lakbay Sining: Bayan mo Ilakbay Mo” campaign.
Through this, we, the artists can participate in art competitions regionally where we can promote our towns and cities through our art pieces. We have also the venture to have art workshops, art demos and art appreciation seminars with teachers and students from different schools and municipalities.
In line with these, GSB and PTCAO projects, we are positively promoting arts and culture not just regionally, but nationwide as well by showcasing the incomparable talent and skill of Batangueños in the Arts.
Hope for the Flowers exhibit runs until May 31 at the Adamson University Art Gallery (900 San Marcelino St., Malate, Manila).
Image credits: Janet Arboleda-Ballecer
2 comments
Janet Arboleda-Ballecer – forward always and keep hope my dear!
I enjoyed reading this story about you. And I hope this congratulations gets to you before your show ends May 31.
It is one of the joys of my life to know that my book has brought some meaning to you and so many others in the Philippines.
We both fly and still crawl until we enter that big cocoon!
Wowwwww… i just had my “cloud nine”moment the time i saw your comment Miss Trina!!! Thank you sooooo much, not just for this message but for the book you have released way back and truly inspired a lot of Filipinos since then… i fly high and will fly higher to give back inspirations to others.
Really…I’m very grateful and honored to send a message of gratitude to you! Sending my ❤ to you from the Philippines! 🦋