BANAS (Pathways) | A Watercolor of Negros Landscapes by Edbon Sevilleno

“Watercolor - a medium that heals and comforts.”

Negrense artist Edbon Sevilleno has been painting with watercolor of rural scenes and rusty landscape around him for many years now. Growing up in a small town of northern Negros Occidental, Saravia (now E. B. Magalona), he was surrounded with sugarcane fields or haciendas and coastal fishing villages. And you add the simple people with quiet lives. It was that kind of place that you really hold dear in your heart and you call “my hometown”. These rich memoirs of his hometown and Negros were etched as subjects in his watercolor paintings.

Many of his works were from youthful nostalgia from his experiences. One work depicts a day in the life of a fisherman, as the artist himself recalls going along with fishermen as they set out to sea. Another work tells of life in the barrio as the artists goes with the flow of daily life in the haciendas. Sevilleno’s watercolors draws and dwells on how life is every single day in different lives of people in different places. He sums up that his watercolors of landscapes are of a reflection of life rather than a genre painting of an escapist. Being true to his being an artist he believes that social realism does not only appear with rough shapes of dark moods and eye-catching hues of emotions but social realism also echoes in his light watercolor chronicles of daily life.

Magbayaw | Watercolor Landscapes 2009 Series | By Edbon Sevilleno

In January 2009, Sevilleno had his 6th one-man show entitled “BRANDEAD” in Bacolod City’s Gallery Orange. It was an installation of his modern art and his statement as an OFW artist. Regarded by many art critiques as one of Bacolod’s avant-garde artist, he still pays homage to his roots in art with traditional works such as watercolors, portraiture and illustrations. As one art critic said, “One good thing about him is that he knows everything, but it might not be good career-wise”. Sevilleno still follows his heart and believes that he cannot compromise one for the other because he loves doing it. Sevilleno has painted with the country’s well-known watercolorists such as Edgar Doctor, Rafael Pacheco, Steve Santos, Frank Verano, Lino Severino, Rafael Paderna, and mentor Rodney Martinez.

Contrary to living as a hermit artist, he chose to work as an Art Director in advertising agencies in the Middle East for 18 year. Pointing out the global recession he added that GCC countries were also affected and thus, the advertising industry also took a huge blow. It triggered him to quit work and came back home to Bacolod to continue working with his art in his home studio. He recalls that he has always been faithful to his art even when he was preoccupied with his day job and really finds time to produce art in his free time. Painting vividly his memories in watercolor was his way of dealing with homesickness. As he said, painting in this medium comforts him spiritually and emotionally wherever he was. He shares that he can somewhat heal his melancholic longing of life back home in Negros with expressing through painting an anchored balsa (boat) in the sunset shores of Agutaya island of Cauayan or a battered karo left in a barren hacienda path.

“Hunas kag Tunod” ( A sunset and a low tide.) | 30 x 23 cm | At Isla Agutaya, Cuayan/Sipalay south of Negros Occ. | Watercolor Landscapes 2009 Series | By Edbon Sevilleno

Going through this global crisis and many more in his life, Sevilleno is still optimistic and always believe that life is about moving on. He even honestly humors this writer as he admitted, “even my watercolor paintings heals me financially as of the moment”. But he strongly pointed out that he always wanted to remain true and honest to his passion and his art as he ensures each and every still of his watercolor mind is something that we can relate to because it is for us and it is in our times.

When he was asked his advice to aspiring watercolor artists who want to venture in this medium considered as the hardest medium to tame, the artist smilingly concluded, “Paint watercolors if you are inspired, like when you make love, make love when you are in love.”

BANAS, an Ilonggo word meaning pathways, is the artist’s soulful renditions of how people go about in their daily lives. There is that forlorn road to going to the hacienda to work. There is a path in trading your produce to the market. There is this little footpath that lead to the sea for that quick swim. Some paths formed by countless feet leaving mark for others to follow.Our paths may cross in the lows and the highs of life but still each of us has his own path to follow.

Edbon Sevilleno will open his exhibit of watercolor paintings in his 7th one-man show entitled “BANAS” (Pathways), a Watercolor of Negros Landscapes at the Museo Negrense De La Salle, University of St. La Salle-Bacolod, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental on May 7, 2009, Thursday, 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon . The exhibit will run from May 7th to the 30th for the Visayan Association of Museums - Western Visayas hosted by the Museo Negrense De La Salle.

“Balay sa Isla” | 30 x 23 cm | At Isla Agutaya, Cuayan/Sipalay south of Negros Occ. | Watercolor Landscapes 2009 Series | By Edbon Sevilleno