In 2006, Boholano Palanca award winner and La Salle professor Marjorie Evasco (of Maribojoc) authored “Ani: The Life and Art of Hermogena Borja Lungay, Boholano Painterâ€. The book is beautifully reviewed by Flaudette May V. Datuin (“Blossoms of Wisdom from a Turtle-Shaped Islandâ€) in Ctrl + Pdf (Journal of Contemporary Art). I had the privilege of attending the launching of the book at MetroCentre in Tagbilaran. How our eyes welled when it was time for Ma’am Nene to speak on her experiences as a mother, wife and artist.
Excerpts from Datuin’s review:
(In) . . . her home-island of Bohol, . . . (Lungay) is “committed to the lifelong practice of her art. She is of Bohol, in spirit and soul. This keen sense of place is not mere context for her art; it is the heart-source from which her visual imagination draws its living waters.â€
A strong presence in Bohol today, Lungay is role model to new generations of Boholano artists. In her workshops, she not only teaches technique on how to paint well, but also how to live well. In one telling incident that took place in a gathering of Visayan artists, she sent a strong message: artists must learn how to strike a balance “between the need to survive in the world and the desire to serve one’s art.†When a male artist admonished young participants that “they shouldn’t get stuck with painting flowers and fruits,†the kind which collectors prefer, she countered: “Do not forget how to paint your flowers and fruits. These will help you survive in the world. But take care to paint each one very well.â€
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