HARAYA
Exhibition text by Anita Feleo (excerpt)
There is an old Tagalog word HIRAYA, which means imagination, vision, or the power of the mind. The word aptly describes the works and persona of the late artist Roberto Bulatao Feleo. Although one might add other assets of the man, such as originality and a Filipino soul. What may not be immediately apparent is the construct: Sapin-Sapin or layering, which infuses heft to the figures in his works, and the use of the sawdust and white glue mix to give flesh and form to his sculpture.
Humongous plants, seemingly extraterrestrial, immediately catch the eye. But the rich admixture of colors of the rainbow brings them down to Earth. There is Lolong, a frightful crocodile, unexpectedly stalking amidst cutsey plants, each hosting a tiny insect, softening the presence of the man-eating beast. Two vitrines, recall Spanish period saints encased in glass. This time, however, hemmed in are the tree of life and a children’s game. A Baybayin or Syllabary engraved in glass presents a sampling of written characters used by various indigenous groups in the Philippines.
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