THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA
www.kalatas.com.au | Volume 5 Number 3 | December 2014
wardee
three books in the works and more artistic
endeavours. And experiments.
“I have just completed a commissioned
book on the life and work of Lourdes Reyes
Montinola, Chair of Far Eastern University
(1989 to 2013). In the fire are three book projects and at the same time I have been experimenting with assemblage work on my paintings and with ceramic art,” he says.
A blogger and a Facebook regular, the ever-curious Mang Ding is also busy working
with technology-driven artistic platforms and
he’s turning out to be good at it. The iPad has
become a canvas for him as he dabbles in Digital Art.
“I am still low-tech,” Mr. Roces laughs
when asked how far he has gone with his gadget.
ART media always
interests me and
how these new
media generate new
expressions. The
iPad is an interesting
example: you can
reduce or enlarge your
final work on paper or
canvas to incredible
scale in effect altering
your work. You can
reproduce the work
limitlessly and send
it around the world in
seconds," he says.
“You can "undo" or erase your work in
progress, you can "blow up" or magnify the
area you want to detail, you can work in layers
and replicate; and take one visual idea in various direction. But it requires learning and practice. There is the frustration but also the excitement of triumph over chaos.”
Mr. Roces left the Philippines for Australia in 1976 during those dark martial law days.
Back then he was already a prolific writer, a recipient of various art awards. Earlier in 1961,
he was a recipient of the prestigious TOYM
(Ten Outstanding Young Men) awards. He
wrote for the Manila Times until 1972.
In Australia he served as editor of Geo
Australasia Magazine for over a decade. He
has done over 35 one-man shows in the Philippines and Australia. He is the consummate
artist who makes a mark and leaves his artistic
print wherever he goes. In New South Wales,
one of his outstanding works include a land art
work where he ‘reintroduced’ the sari manok
in a collaboration with Aboriginal artist Kevin
Duncan in 2009.
Already successful, he keeps moving on
with the grace and humility of a great artist
worthy of a ‘Pamana’.
Featured in the ‘Portraits of Success’ book
by Mon Coloma released early this year, Mr.
Roces says he is only duty-bound to make the
best of his talents and the opportunities that
come his way.
“Success is fulfilling one’s potential to the
fullest no matter how modest that is. I have
never consciously sought out the many blessings that have come my way; a Divine Hand
provided the opportunities and I simply tried to
make the most of these.”
NEWS
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