Images courtesy of Magel Cadapan
AS descendants of writer and storyteller Severino Reyes of the Lola Basyang fame, three women artists chartered their own paths as they pursued their artistic passion with no apologies. Following their art’s desires, their creation now sends a strong message to women artists: be true, be brave, be an artist.
These women artists followed the lead of their Lola Inda, otherwise known as Angelina Reyes-Ilagan. As the family’s matriarch, she survived World War II as a widow, single-handedly raised and nurtured six children, and taught them “to do creative expressions in order to survive.”
From Consuelo, Pampanga, Lola Inda moved the family to Bayawan, Negros Oriental, where her brother Condoy at that time was the Cabeza de Barangay (little mayor). With sheer diligence and due to her craftsmanship, she eventually became the town’s custorera, or sewer of petticoats. She died of leukemia in 1970.
She was the mother of artists, the late Elsie “Inday” Reyes-Cadapan and Caridad “Caring” Reyes-Zangenberg, and grandmother to the late Barbara Reyes Aquino. Their art works were in a reunited a three-woman show just before the lockdown last year with Magel Cadapan as curator.
“The Mga Inday Ni Inda (The beloved of Lola Inda) exhibit was in honor of the women in my family: my mother Inday, my auntie Caring and my cousin Bambie, our Lola Inda, and in memoriam of our departed loved ones. As I pondered over their artform, I remembered the early mornings when she crawled into my bed to talk about her family of origin on wee hours. That led me to research on the family’s history, the creative juices, and focused on three women artists in my family, who were empowered to bloom in their own fields, and felt that God has guided me to fulfill a dream I envisioned long time ago,” shares Cadapan.
An artist inspires another artist
As granddaughter, Cadapan recalls that “it was my Lola Inda who influenced my mother. Inday was a sickly child and by looking at the paintings (magazine cut outs of artworks by European artists) made her enjoy being sick. That inspired my mom to hit the canvas when she got sick in 1987.” Given months to live, her creative streak sustained Inday to live for the next 13 years as an artist.
In Bayawan, Negros, Caridad “Caring” Reyes-Zangenberg glowed up the local crowned beauties as the town’s official beautician. Seeking the next challenge, Caring closed her beauty parlor and worked as an art dealer in Inday’s antique shop in Manila. Later on, she opened her own store, Caring’s Pieces Antique Shop, in Mabini Art Center in the mid 70s. There she met Horst Zangenberg, a fine gentleman, mathematician, and art lover, and whom she married later. They settled in Weyarn, near Munich, Germany. “My mom Inday visited her, she tried to motivate Auntie Caring to paint with her, but to no avail. She only got serious about painting right after she lost her sister. She was already 60 years old then and so redirected her grief by painting non-stop in memory of Inday. For Auntie Caring, art was a tool to heal the mourning soul,” reveals Cadapan.
From 1987 to 1988, Barbara Reyes Aquino lived with her Auntie Inday’s family and there Bambi, as she as fondly called, witnessed her aunt’s life as an artist. Impressed by her aunt’s passion, she began to dabble in painting as her hobby while she worked as a young professional. Her creative activity kept her occupied and proved to be her stress reliever from the demands of work. She completed her course on Forestry at the Mindanao State University in 1999, and was employed at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) CENRO-Nasipit, Agusan del Norte as a Forester Level II. Her unplanned debut as a professional artist came when Bambi was commissioned by the Caraga Regional Office, Ambago, Butuan City to produce artworks that were given away as token gifts to dignitaries in a major event.
Art is what’s in your heart
Ever since Bambie got hold of a paint brush and canvas, her favorite subjects have always been her close encounters with rural folks and of nature. Through her art, she wanted her audience to appreciate nature and value the common folk. Her life was cut short due to Parkinson’s disease on July 29, 2018. Her artworks were her legacy, a long lasting testament of her strength as a person despite her circumstances.
For Inday and Bambie, art was their outlet that served as a temporary release from their mortality. For Caring, the art helped her deal with her loss and consoled her homesickness.
Caring painted mostly scenes from her walks in public parks, her interactions with Filipinas married to German men just like her, her visits to the museums and Flo Marts, also known as flea markets. She wanted to share her talent to uplift her family lineage and leave something inspiring to the next generation.
As for Inday, she expressed her political views using oil paints on canvas. For practical reasons, she painted with more positive themes and switched to other mediums such as ceramic art and sculpture in wood and metal.
“At the start, no one really believed in their talents, but they all thrived to enjoy what they can do with their art. They were all brave enough to express themselves, to be criticized and laughed at, but nobody took away the joy they’ve all experienced through painting. We came from a very encouraging clan. As they fought the negativities in life, they pursued their hearts’ desire and developed the talent that God had given them. They found purpose and did not waste away the time given to the two of them who were dying,” shares Cadapan.
As the family’s curator, Cadapan assumed the task of showcasing the work of these three women artists. ” We came from the lineage of the story teller Severino Reyes, and these women boldly narrated their stories, saying ‘It’s okay if you don’t know how to paint but wanting to, just paint from the heart!’
By honoring these women, our family leads to encourage aspiring self-taught artists, and push possible art collectors to break the barrier of appreciating the unschooled, naive (naife) art.