“Liwanag ng Paninindigan”
Digital Painting
2021
Apolinario Mabini has always been a side character in recent local historical movies, there were only few documentaries that featured him that’s why most people in the younger generations don’t know who he exactly was, his contributions, and why he was always sitting on a chair. I was captivated by his patriotism and intellect, when I learned about his backstory, it made me want to use him as my subject for my painting. Apolinario Mabini was a strong and wise man who didn’t hesitate to fight for our country despite his disability, with his love for the nation and high intellect, he did everything he could for the greater good despite the danger that could follow. This artwork tells a message that we should not be afraid to be critical and we should muster all the courage to fight the ones who oppress and violate our rights, we need more heroes like him, who is not afraid to state the truth and what is right. My painting is not just my visualization of Apolinario Mabini, it can be all of us.
The highpoint of a moment is what the multimedia-artist Daphne Gragera likes to capture in her paintings and sculptures, imbedding them with a hint of mystery and beauty through colors and vanishing details. She’s able to interpret any situation through a myriad of colors, mood, and light, giving her paintings a contemporary realistic touch whether through traditional or digital medium. Using the human body as her main subject, she transmutes it into symbols or mysterious figures that are telling us a story or sharing a secret, for she believes that every person has a wonderful story to tell and that gives her an abundant source of inspiration. To create an impactful physical presence of her subject, she visualizes any possible scenarios of their greatest or worst moment and paint it on a canvas.
Currently dwelling in the competitive world of game art as a freelance illustrator, she strives to create a new style that could be applied in her oil paintings and create her own trademark. Daphne Gragera truly broke away from the boundaries of realism and wants to show how she finally sees the world. The artist who is still finishing her diploma in Studio Arts major in Sculpture in UP Diliman College of Fine Arts wishes that she can become an inspiration to all people who are too afraid to pursue their passion and provide her audience a breathtaking experience by looking at her pieces.