Artwork images courtesy of Lino Acasio
Lino Acasio, the renowned landscape artist of Batangas, left his hometown Lemery with a heavy heart on that fateful day when the Taal volcano erupted on January 12.
“I was with my high school mates in Tagaytay when I read in a group chat that Taal Volcano is erupting. We hurriedly went home, fearing we will be caught by the volcanic debris. Along the way, we can see huge clouds of ashes coming from the volcano. When we arrived home, I immediately evacuated my family,” shares Acasio. With his 91-year old mother, granddaughters (ages 1 year and 2 months old, and 2 months old) in tow and with the rest of the family, Acasio headed to Batangas City to seek temporary shelter from relatives.
While the family was kept safe, Acasio could not help but feel devastated as his former muse turned to dull, almost unrecognizable state under the veil of ash. “Three days after the eruption I watched this video, (that’s when) my tears fell…. My hometown Lemery is now a ghost town. My heart melted down when I saw the damage done by the eruption. The green landscape that I painted is now colored gray. We are praying that the volcano will not have a major eruption as what Phivolcs keep on warning us.”
He was able to bring some pieces with him, but most of his artwork was left behind and got buried in the ashes.
Acasio started immortalizing the Batangas’ rural scenes in 1982, a clear statement of his fixation to the pastoral beauty of the Philippine countryside in the south. “The beautiful landscape of Batangas is the subject in my paintings. I paint for the love of nature.”
True enough, this recurring theme of his landscapes presents lush vegetation, green fields, hills, and mountains as rivers and brooks cut, meander, and deliver life-giving hydration back to nature. His artworks portray the ideal provincial life of simple folks working with nature and sustaining the very environment that nurtures the people’s parochial lifestyle. In the same breath, Acasio’s passion pays tribute to nature’s beauty by advocating environmental protection and preservation.
Just weeks before the Taal volcano spewed ash and shook the earth, Acasio proudly unveiled his sequel exhibit, My Luntian Buhay, at the Art Center in SM Megamall from December 23 to January 3. The series started with the Luntian Kapaligiran exhibit as Acasio that carried his fight to preserving nature. My concern for the environment drives me to paint the picture of a livable place, one that is full of life, that is pollution-free, fresh air and organic foods. No greed, just a simple life, where children play traditional games, not with gadgets, just enjoying the beauty of nature,” Acasio explains.
In his latest solo exhibit, the centerpiece was his biggest artwork titled “Pansipit River,” a bird’s eye depiction that was culled from his memory: “Pansipit River is a sole drainage outlet from Taal Lake to Balayan Bay. The river stretches about 9 kms., passing along the towns of San Nicolas, Agoncillo, Taal, and Lemery, serving as the border between communities.” Recent photos show that Pansipit River now has gone run dry; its water seeping through the ground cracks in Lemery.
Will water in the Pansipit River flow again to the Balayan Bay? We don’t know, however, Acasio remains hopeful of recovery of Batangas’ terrain, as well as of the lives of his kababayan. “Knowing the character of Batangueños, we can recover from this calamity. And the landscape of Batangas will soon be green again.”
Unbridled by the woes brought by the calamity, Acasio and artist collective, Grupo Sining Batangueño, immediately regrouped and conducted series of art workshops in evacuation centers to alleviate the fears and worries of the Batangueños, especially the children.
In 2012, Acasio and six other visual artists, Jorge Banawa of Taal, Mischa of Sta. Tersita, Ryan de Roxas and Arthur Tolentino Serra of San Nicolas and Luciano Artista of Lemery, founded Grupo Sining Batangueño.
With thoughts of helping his kababayan further, Acasio shares, “We wanted a fund raising art exhibit for the welfare of the victims, but due to the COVID-19, it was postponed. Now, we are planning to sell our artworks online. It is through our paintings we can express our sympathy and remind them the importance of nature in our lives.”
Image credits: Artwork images courtesy of Lino Acasio